The Patriots will be without star cornerback Christian Gonzalez in Week 1 due to a hamstring injury, but rookie offensive tackle Will Campbell will make his NFL debut.
Campbell was listed as questionable on New England’s final injury report, but the No. 5 pick will play through an ankle injury to protect Drake Maye‘s blind side.
Head coach Mike Vrabel said (via Chad Graff of The Athletic) on Friday that Gonzalez would be sidelined for the Patriots’ regular season opener against the Raiders.
“Everybody heals differently,” said Vrabel this week (via Graff), adding that he wants to make sure that his players can “do their job with confidence…protect themselves on the field and…can’t make it any worse.”
Gonzalez’s absence will leave the Patriots without their best cornerback and arguably their best defensive player against a new-look Raiders offense. Third-year corner Alex Austin will likely be the next man up at boundary cornerback opposite veteran Carlton Davis with Marcus Jones in the slot.
Gonzalez suffered the injury during the Patriots’ first day of padded practices on July 28. He hasn’t practiced since, making it unclear if he’ll even be back for Week 2, which brings a tougher set of receivers in Tyreek Hill and Jaylen Waddle.
The 2023 first-round pick endured a disappointing rookie year that ended after just four games due to a major shoulder injury. He came back to start 16 games with 978 defensive snaps, two interceptions, and a 71.7 passer rating when targeted. That earned him a second-team All-Pro nod as well as a fifth-place finish in Comeback Player of the Year voting, setting up a highly-anticipated third campaign ahead of his extension eligibility next offseason. Those expectations will have to wait at least one more game while Gonzalez gets back to full strength.