Now that the 2025 offseason is in the rearview mirror, the Patriots are well on their way in preparing for their season-opening game against the Raiders on Sunday at Gillette Stadium. It will be the first time we get a good look at Mike Vrabel's vision for the team in his first season as the head coach, which has already prompted a lot of excitement about how they will fare after back-to-back seasons of a 4-13 record.
They have the chance to start the year 1-0, since they'll be facing another team looking for redemption this year that also has a new head coach and staff and several new pieces on their roster. Not to mention, Josh McDaniels will be seeking revenge for their handling of his firing nearly two years ago.
But the Patriots are looking like they might be dealing with a speed bump with their defense, as superstar cornerback Christian Gonzalez continues to nurse an injury he sustained at training camp in late July.
He was not at practice on Monday, making analysts and fans even more concerned about his availability, now that we know their secondary will be led by a young crop of players hoping to establish themselves this year.
Fortunately, Vrabel provided an update on Gonzalez and all hope might not be lost.
Mike Vrabel provides some clarity on the status of Christian Gonzalez for Week 1
During his weekly appearance on WEEI's "The Greg Hill Show," Vrabel was asked about Gonzalez and if there was anything more he could provide us as the Patriots prepare for their season opener.
Adding to his not-so-optimistic update about the cornerback's potential to play this week, he finally painted a much better picture to finally settle the concerns from the fans ahead of Sunday's matchup.
#Patriots HC Mike Vrabel is vague when talking about CB Christian Gonzalez:
— New England Sports Fellow (@NESportsFellow) September 2, 2025
"He didn't practice yesterday. That's the only update I can give you. I haven't met the trainers....When he's ready to get back out and practice, hopefully that's this week."
(🎥: @TheGregHillShow) pic.twitter.com/dGeiigk69N
Hearing that Gonzalez could return to the practice field this week is a huge step from what we heard from Vrabel just one day ago. That certainly slows down the worries about having the CB1 miss a game already, even if there are some who feel the defense would still be good in his absence, given their opponent.
Even if that's true, it's always good to have all the starters ready to go in Week 1, and at this point, it's only Gonzalez who appears to be questionable. While that's a much better sign than what the Patriots have dealt with early in the season in the past, potentially having arguably your best player on the bench is not ideal.
This update, however, is a good sign, even if that's viewing it through rose colored glasses.