New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
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New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez might have reaggravated his hamstring injury, leaving his status for Week 6 up in the air.
The New England Patriots enjoyed a couple of relatively stress-free weeks regarding Christian Gonzalez, but the uncertainty around the cornerback has returned.
Gonzalez was limited in practice on Oct. 9 with a hamstring issue, presumably the same hamstring that kept him out of the first three games of the season. Speaking to reporters a day later, head coach Mike Vrabel confirmed the cornerback’s status for Week 6 in New Orleans is up in the air.
“Christian will be questionable for the game,” Vrabel told reporters at his Friday press conference. “We’ll continue to monitor him for the game. … That’s where we’re at, and we’ll have a plan if he doesn’t go, and we’ll have a plan if he does go, just like everybody else.”
Patriots Dealing With Christian Gonzalez Uncertainty Once Again
Vrabel also noted Gonzalez was likely to be a game-time decision, saying the team would make its final call 90 minutes before kickoff in New Orleans when the inactive list is due.
Vrabel declined to answer questions about Gonzalez’s practice status for Friday. However, Gonzalez, per multiple reporters, was on the field for the Patriots’ Oct. 10 practice, the final session of the week before New England heads south to take on the Saints.
Where it gets confusing, though, is Vrabel didn’t seem to acknowledge anything about Gonzalez’s practice status during the week was planned. However, Patriots cornerbacks coach Justin Hamilton told reporters on Oct. 9 that Gonzalez was limited early in practice by design.
“He’s on a plan with (Vrabel) and (director of sports performance Frank Piraino) with (head athletic trainer Jim Whelan) in the training room, and it’s kind of a warm-up to the early portion of practice, just to do more,” Hamilton told reporters, per Pats Pulpit.