Patriots fear nightmare scenario after Christian Gonzalez exits Falcons game

Going into their Week 9 matchup against the Falcons, the Patriots hoped to extend their 6-game win streak and remain near the top of the AFC ahead of another big test against the Bucs next week.

It wasn't expected to be an easy feat, as second-year quarterback Michael Penix Jr. was set to return to the field after missing last week's game, and the talented Atlanta offense led by Drake London would make for a hard day for the Patriots' secondary. Fortunately, they had Christian Gonzalez ready to go.

But that wasn't exactly how things went, because the coaching staff continued to put Marcus Jones in a mismatch by having him guard London far too often in the red zone, leading to scores. So switching to Gonzalez was the better answer, only for the Pro Bowler to get injured in the fourth quarter and exit the game after allowing a 40-yard catch by London.

The team hasn't released any details regarding what the cornerback injured, but considering he began the season nursing a hamstring injury that set him back much longer than anticipated, fans are starting to fear the worst case scenario already.

Christian Gonzalez's injury creates a massive hole in the Patriots' defense

Since he was drafted in the first round in 2023, Gonzalez has become the face of the Patriots' defense for his consistently impressive play and has already become a shutdown cornerback. He has been the most talented player on their roster, and receivers don't fare well against him.

So the fact that he had to leave this week's game early, which allowed for another touchdown to London, is not great for the Patriots' chances, nor their future if Gonzalez has to miss any time.

There's a chance he reinjured his hamstring, or some have suggested it might be a concussion, given how London landed on him; neither of which is ideal for his chances of returning sooner rather than later, which is a nightmare scenario.

Hopefully, we'll get an update on his status before the game ends, or after Mike Vrabel speaks to reporters. If he does miss time, it wouldn't be surprising if the Patriots are more active ahead of Tuesday's trade deadline than they otherwise would have been.

UPDATE: