Overview
- On Thursday, reporters did not see Christian Gonzalez or Carlton Davis III during the media portion of Patriots practice, with multiple outlets confirming the pair were absent.
- Gonzalez missed his fifth straight practice with a shoulder injury after suffering it in Week 3, which puts his availability for Sunday’s game in serious doubt.
- Davis is listed with a neck issue on the team’s Wednesday injury report and also missed Thursday’s media session, and no official game-day designations had been released by Thursday evening.
- The absences stretch New England’s cornerback depth because other backups have missed practice and Marcus Jones is the only regularly healthy outside corner, prompting possible elevations or position shuffling.
- The situation matters strategically and for fans because Gonzalez and Davis carry roughly $189 million in combined contracts and the Patriots must finalize plans Friday for covering Brock Bowers and the Raiders’ passing attack.