Christian Gonzalez, the guy who was just flashing that million-dollar smile at Lumen Field against our Seahawks a few weeks back, has officially graduated to full participation in Thursday’s practice. After being sidelined for back-to-back games with that shoulder injury he picked up in September, the extended All-Pro corner is back, and that’s a massive shift as the Patriots gear up for the New York Jets this Sunday.
Secondary Shake-Up: One Step Forward, Two Steps Back?
While Gonzalez’s full return is a huge boost, it’s not all sunshine and rainbows in the Patriots’ secondary. Fellow cornerbacks Carlton Davis III and rookie Karon Prunty were still MIA. Davis has been battling a neck issue, and Prunty’s got a hamstring problem. Both guys missed the 45-17 smackdown on the Las Vegas Raiders, and now they’ve missed five straight practices. Think about that: a depth chart that was already calling on Kindle Vildor as a 53-man promotion was down four corners last weekend! That’s a brutal hit, even with Gonzalez back to help anchor things. Add defensive tackle Cory Durden to the “Did Not Participate” list too; he’s out with an illness. Durden has been a legit factor, stepping up from the practice squad in 2025 to start every game, playing 47.8 percent of defensive snaps in their 3-2 start, with seven tackles and a quarterback hit. Losing him, even for one game, is a pain in the gut.
More Bumps and Bruises Beyond the Corners
The “Limited Participation” list is still a bit of a scroll, though they did cut it down from 13 partial participants to 12. Two big names on that list are starting left tackle Will Campbell, the former No. 4 overall pick out of LSU, and rotational running back TreVeyon Henderson, the former No. 38 overall pick from Ohio State. Both Campbell and Henderson got knocked out in the second quarter against the Raiders, going from questionable to officially out. Campbell’s dealing with a knee injury that has him reportedly week-to-week, which saw rookie Caleb Lomu step in on the blindside. Henderson’s got a high ankle sprain, a brutal one for any running back, and that’s pushed summer trade acquisition Corey Kiner up a rung behind lead rusher Rhamondre Stevenson. They’re both on the field in some capacity, which is a good sign, but “limited” isn’t “full speed” when you’re talking about key contributors.
So, what’s next? The Patriots, sitting at 3-2, roll into Gillette Stadium on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET to face the Jets. Christian Gonzalez is back to full speed, which is incredible, but they’re still scrambling to patch holes elsewhere, especially in that secondary and on the O-line. It’s going to be a grinder, and we’ll see if the return of their All-Pro makes enough of a difference against an AFC East rival.
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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