The New England Patriots are officially short on cornerbacks. Already without Jonathan Jones, Jack Jones, and Marcus Jones, the Patriots saw first-round rookie Christian Gonzalez go down with an injury on Sunday. What is Gonzalez’s status, and can he return in Week 4?
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Christian Gonzalez Injury Update
UPDATE, Oct. 4 (10:30 a.m. ET): Gonzalez is expected to miss the rest of the season after suffering a torn labrum, according to NFL Network. The Patriots reunited with fellow cornerback J.C. Jackson on Tuesday, acquiring the veteran defensive back from the Los Angeles Chargers in a late-round pick swap.
Oct. 2 (12:55 p.m. ET): Gonzalez went down after making a tackle on Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard. He initially tried to get up and leave the field on his own but could not.
Eventually, Gonzalez was able to jog off the field with medical personnel. He was favoring his right shoulder and arm as he departed.
After being examined in the blue medical tent, Gonzalez left for the Patriots’ locker room.
New England initially announced that Gonzalez was questionable to return with a shoulder injury.
MORE: New England Patriots Depth Chart
However, the club downgraded Gonzalez to “out” near the start of the second half. The Patriots were down 28-3 at that point, so it’s unclear if the lopsided score had anything to do with Gonzalez’s status.
On Monday, Jeff Howe of The Athletic reported that Gonzalez dislocated his shoulder on Sunday. He’ll need tests to confirm the diagnosis, but Gonzalez is expected to be sidelined.
Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez dislocated his shoulder yesterday against the Cowboys and is undergoing tests to determine further damage, per source. The Defensive Rookie of the Month is expected to miss some time.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) October 2, 2023
With Gonzalez out of the game, the Cowboys attacked the Patriots’ secondary on the very next play. Dak Prescott hit CeeDee Lamb for a 20-yard touchdown with backup New England cornerback Myles Bryant in coverage.
Jonathan Jones is inactive as he deals with an injury, while Jack Jones and Marcus Jones are both on injured reserve. The Patriots’ only healthy corners are Bryant, Shaun Wade, sixth-round rookie Ameer Speed, and hybrid CB/S Jalen Mills.