Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) could make his season debut in Week 4

Through three games in the 2025 season, the New England Patriots are 1-2. They are coming off a 21-14 loss to the Steelers in Week 3. New England has been without former first-round pick Christian Gonzalez. 

He suffered a hamstring injury in late July and has been recovering ever since. The team anticipated Gonzalez being available for Week 1, but that was not the case. On Wednesday, September 24, head coach Mike Vrabel spoke with the media. He expects Christian Gonzalez to ramp up his workload, with the possibility of playing in Week 4 vs. the Panthers.

New England’s Christian Gonzalez is still recovering from a hamstring injury

Mike Vrabel said he anticipates Christian Gonzalez being able to ramp up his work load in hopes of playing Sunday against Carolina. pic.twitter.com/1Fa6bPBCKQ

— Karen Guregian (@kguregian) September 24, 2025

With the 17th pick in the 2023 NFL draft, Christian Gonzalez was selected by the Patriots out of Oregon. Over his first two seasons, Gonzalez played and started 20 games. As a rookie, Gonzalez played in just four games for New England. He suffered a torn labrum in his shoulder and missed their final 13 games. During his 2024 campaign, Christian Gonzalez bounced back and started 16 of 17 games for the Patriots.

He finished the 2024 season with 59 combined tackles, two interceptions, 11 passes defended, and one fumble recovery for a touchdown. That was enough for Gonzalez to be named second-team All-Pro. After missing significant time as a rookie, Christian Gonzalez bounced back in his second season. Unfortunately, Gonzalez suffered a setback in late July, which has affected his 2025 campaign.

Mike Vrabel arrives and @kguregian (in camo from the second row) leads off with a question on CB Christian Gonzalez, with Vrabel saying the plan is to ramp him up this week in hopes he plays Sunday vs. the Panthers. pic.twitter.com/53e9QP1bx5

— Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss) September 24, 2025

The 23-year-old has yet to see the field this season due to a hamstring injury. Patriots beat reporter Albert Breer noted that New England anticipated Gonzalez being ready for Week 1. We are heading into Week 4, and there is no definite answer whether Gonzalez will be available. Breer said there is no “ill-will” from the Patriots, but they could be growing frustrated that the CB is still not ready.

Additionally, Albert Breer said there could be hesitancy from Gonzalez to return too soon. The young CB already missed the majority of his rookie season due to injury. He doesn’t want the same to happen in year three. Breer said Christian Gonzalez might be overly cautious to ensure he can get a second contract with the Patriots. New England’s star CB has been practicing for two weeks now. However, he is not quite ready for game action. We’ll wait and see if Christian Gonzalez is available in Week 4 when the Patriots face the Panthers.