"There's also the elephant in the room - Gonzalez's surging contract value. No player wants the "injury-prone" label attached to his resume, but to say New England's defense is struggling in coverage without its top cornerback would be an understatement. Through two games, the Patriots are allowing 75.8% completions (30th in the NFL) and 338.5 net passing yards per game (32nd)."
"In a recent appearance on WEEI sports radio, all-time Patriots great Ty Law broke down what every fan should be thinking when it comes to Gonzalez's puzzling injury situation. "It's just showing, 'I'm hurt, they can't replace me.' So, he's just adding value. And when he comes back and they improve, guess what? The Brinks truck is going to be backing up." The New England Patriots can't afford to rush Christian Gonzalez back - literally"
Christian Gonzalez has missed significant practice time with a nagging hamstring and returned only in a limited capacity, making a Week 3 appearance unlikely without a ramp-up. The Patriots' pass defense is struggling in his absence, allowing 75.8% completions and 338.5 net passing yards per game through two games. A hamstring carries a high reinjury risk, so cautious management benefits Gonzalez. As a 2023 first-round pick, Gonzalez will be extension-eligible after 2025, creating contract leverage that could influence return timing. Teams and players frequently negotiate timing around injury and contract value.
Read at Musket Fire
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]