Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez will miss Sunday’s Week 4 game against the Buffalo Bills because of a Christian Gonzalez injury to his shoulder, head coach Mike Vrabel announced Friday. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore was also ruled out with a shoulder injury after both players missed all three practices this week.
The twin absences hit New England’s defense on both levels, taking away a top cornerback locked into a long-term deal and a disruptive interior pass rusher just as the Patriots (1-2) try to avoid a third straight loss, according to Kansas City.
What the team said about the Christian Gonzalez injury
Gonzalez was officially ruled out after missing all three practices this week, per the Patriots‘ injury report. Barmore received the same designation with his own shoulder injury. New England also listed seven players as questionable, including offensive tackle Morgan Moses (foot), outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder), linebacker Christian Elliss (chest), fullback Reggie Gilliam (knee), tight end Eli Raridon (thigh), safety Craig Woodson (shoulder) and cornerback Channing Canada (hamstring).
Who replaces Gonzalez and Barmore
Charles Woods is expected to start in Gonzalez’s place at cornerback. Woods started in Week 2 for injured cornerback Carlton Davis III, allowing four catches for 24 yards on seven targets while stuffing three runs across 60 defensive snaps.
The Patriots must decide whether Woods plays primarily in base packages or whether nickel corner Marcus Jones sees time in two-corner looks. Woods’ size could be the better matchup against Buffalo’s offense, which uses multi-tight-end sets more than any team in the league. No corresponding replacement was named for Barmore at defensive tackle.
Season context for both players
Gonzalez has started all three games this season, recording eight tackles and five passes defensed, and has started all 37 career games he has played since New England took him 17th overall in the 2023 draft out of Oregon. The Patriots signed him last month to a four-year, $135 million contract extension.
Barmore has four tackles and a sack in three games this season, with one start.
What’s next
The Patriots host the Bills on Sunday in a Week 4 AFC East matchup. The Patriots play Buffalo on Sunday at 1 p.m. ET.
Reporting from Patriots and Kansascity contributed to this story.
