FOXBORO — Star Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez limped off the practice field Monday after suffering an apparent leg injury.
Gonzalez sustained the injury while covering wide receiver Stefon Diggs early in 11-on-11 drills. After Diggs caught the pass from quarterback Drake Maye, Gonzalez grabbed the back of his left leg, then walked slowly toward the medical shed, flanked by team trainers.
The nature and severity of Gonzalez’s injury were not immediately clear, but he did not return to the practice, which was the Patriots’ first in full pads.
Regarded as one of the NFL’s best young corners, Gonzalez earned second-team All-Pro honors last season after tallying 59 tackles, 11 passes defended and two interceptions in 16 games for New England. The 2023 first-round draft pick recently made his first appearance on the player-voted “NFL Top 100” list, checking in at No. 84.
Gonzalez’s exit, coupled with Carlton Davis’ absence from practice, left the Patriots without both of their projected starting cornerbacks. Davis, signed this offseason to be Gonzalez’s running mate, is dealing with an undisclosed injury that’s limited him since camp began.
With Gonzalez and Davis unavailable, Alex Austin and Marcus Jones were the next men up at outside cornerback on Monday, with the 5-foot-8 Jones bumping out from his usual slot role. Behind them were a collection of young corners vying for roster spots, including D.J. James, Miles Battle, Isaiah Bolden, Kobee Minor and Brandon Crossley. Marcellas Dial and Jordan Polk are behind Jones on the nickel depth chart.
James, a second-year pro who spent most of last season on the Patriots’ practice squad, has been a surprise standout over the first five training camp practices. On Monday, he broke up a pass intended for rookie wideout Kyle Williams.
Nine different cornerbacks have started games for the Patriots over the last two seasons, including Gonzalez, Jones, Austin and Dial. New England is hoping the Gonzalez-Davis duo can provide a much-needed jolt of playmaking ability to a defense that ranked tied for 26th in interceptions and 28th in interception rate in 2024.
“I feel like pressure is a privilege,” Gonzalez said last week. “If you have that pressure on you, it’s a good thing, so I enjoy it. You kind of have to enjoy it playing corner because it’s always going to be on the DBs. So I enjoy it.”
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