The first two weeks of the 2025 season have been chaotic for the Patriots, with a season opening loss and an impressive win over the Dolphins in Miami for the first time in six seasons. They appeared to be the team we were all hoping to see under Mike Vrabel, especially offensively now that Josh McDaniels was back, last weekend, and the hope is that continues in another tough battle on Sunday against the Steelers.
The offense appeared to hit their stride, leaving a lot of questions about the defense. While the pass rush and the defensive line have performed well, the secondary and linebackers have been questionable at best.
That's why Christian Gonzalez's return to practice this week was significant, as he practiced all week for the first time since suffering an injury at training camp on July 28. It seemed like a good sign regarding his status for this week's game, but that was immediately dashed when the Patriots announced he won't be making his season debut this weekend.
Christian Gonzalez has been downgraded to out for #PITvsNE. pic.twitter.com/zzn41FDbgm
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) September 20, 2025
Patriots fans will have to wait even longer to see Christian Gonzalez's season debut
The Patriots' secondary has been inconsistent over the first two weeks of the season, with some players performing at a high level, like cornerback Carlton Davis III and safety Jaylinn Hawkins. But the rest of the group has been far from extraordinary, prompting many to long for the return of Gonzalez.
It looked like he would finally take the field against the Steelers, since he returned to practice and was present every day leading up to the game. But it might be fair to assume the Patriots are playing it safe and holding off on his return until he has some more practice time under his belt.
It's not necessarily a bad idea to be more cautious, given how important he is to the team, and risking him reinjuring himself is not worth it in the long run. That's the assumption about already ruling him out before tomorrow's contest, and hopefully that's all it is and not another setback that has delayed his return.
We'll now have to hope that Davis and the other cornerbacks, along with Hawkins and the safety room, can make things difficult for Aaron Rodgers and the Steelers' receiving corps, which is led by D.K. Metcalf. Otherwise, it will put a lot of pressure on Drake Maye to make up for the defense's shortcomings and give the Patriots a chance to finally get their first home win of the season.