Overview
- Gonzalez took a hard fall during Monday’s training camp drill and then missed the Patriots’ joint practice with the Colts on Tuesday, his first missed practice of the summer.
- The cornerback was not at the stadium and did not play in the Patriots’ preseason opener on Thursday.
- Coach Mike Vrabel told reporters on Friday that Gonzalez was “physically unavailable” for practice and grouped him with other players receiving treatment rather than describing the absence as a contract holdout.
- Gonzalez remains in active contract talks with New England after owner Robert Kraft said the team offered a deal that would make Gonzalez the highest‑paid cornerback, a negotiation that observers say could reset the market.
- The team said it will update Gonzalez’s status if the absence continues and Vrabel expressed the expectation that Gonzalez will play in Week 1 if he is healthy, a situation that could affect Patriots secondary depth and the timing of any extension.