According to Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, Christian Gonzalez’s absence this week — in a joint practice session with the Colts on Tuesday and in the preseason opener on Thursday night — is strictly related to the cornerback being physically unavailable to play.
The ongoing contract negotiations with the Patriots might logically stand as a reason for Gonzalez stepping away from the field. But in his postgame meeting with reporters, Vrabel appeared intent on squashing that speculation, indicating that Gonzalez’s absence was no different than any other injured player not being on the field or in uniform.
“Christian was in a group of many players who weren’t here today,” Vrabel answered brusquely when asked about Gonzalez’s absence.
Later, Vrabel was asked for “clarification” on whether or not Gonzalez suffered an injury late in Monday’s practice, a day before the Colts arrived.
“Christian was unavailable — physically unavailable for the practice. That’s the clarification,” Vrabel said. “Just like other players that I told to have treatment, and everybody has a plan here. There were other guys that were in that same category. If you want a list of names: Christian Elliss, [Brenden] Schooler, [Harold] Landry, [Christian] Barmore, et cetera. So make sure they’re all included. They were all in the same group of what they did.”
Vrabel’s tone was that of a head coach who did not appear overly excited to be having such discussions in a public forum. And that’s sure to have the opposite effect of what Vrabel intended.
The inclusion of Elliss (clearly injured during Tuesday’s practice), Landry (PUP list), Schooler (NFI list) and Barmore (unique workload due to medical situation two years ago) certainly didn’t add the clarity that Vrabel tried to offer.
Gonzalez has not been shy about wanting a new contract this summer, though he’s kept the details of what he’s looking for in that deal to himself. He opted out of participating in voluntary OTAs but was present for mandatory minicamp in the spring. To the surprise of many, he’s been a full participant for all of training camp, right up until Tuesday’s joint practice session with the Colts.
And though just about every starter was a spectator on Thursday night, Vrabel had all of them in full uniform and participating in warmups.
The absence on Tuesday did come a day after Gonzalez took a hard fall at the end of Monday’s practice, according to reporters who were on hand, though Vrabel did not confirm that as the moment of Gonzalez’s injury.
Considering the significant difference between full-contact practice against teammates and full-contact practice against another team, Gonzalez’s sudden absence certainly raised many eyebrows around New England and beyond.
If Vrabel is taken at his word — that Gonzalez’s absence on Tuesday was injury-related, and that Gonzalez remained banged up on Thursday — then that in and of itself creates new issues in the contract negotiations that have been taking place behind the scenes.
Gonzalez missed significant time last summer due to a hamstring injury suffered on the first day of fully padded practice at training camp, ultimately costing him the first three games of the regular season. He also was limited to just four games in his rookie season of 2023.
If the Patriots have any hang-ups on guaranteed money, injuries are certain to be a part of that equation. And if Gonzalez is actually hurt at the moment, it figures to make it more difficult for him to get his desired deal this summer.
Vrabel’s next meeting with the media will be Saturday morning before another training camp practice. It’s a safe bet to believe the first question will once again be about the whereabouts and status of his star cornerback.
