Things can change at the drop of a dime in the NFL.
Nearly a week ago, New England Patriots rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez was bagging his first ever Rookie Defensive Player of the Month award. Now, he’s sidelined with a shoulder injury that could keep him out of action for some time.
The Athletic’s Jeff Howe reported on Monday that Gonzalez is expected to miss some time after dislocating his shoulder in Sunday’s 38-3 loss to the Dallas Cowboys. It’s a devastating turn of events for a Patriots team that has been ravaged with injuries on the backend of the defense.
Both Marcus Jones and Jack Jones are on injured reserve, while Jonathan Jones has missed the last three games with an ankle injury.
Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez dislocated his shoulder yesterday against the Cowboys and is undergoing tests to determine further damage, per source. The Defensive Rookie of the Month is expected to miss some time.
— Jeff Howe (@jeffphowe) October 2, 2023
The Patriots lost star linebacker Matthew Judon in the game against the Cowboys as well. Week 4 was brutal for New England both mentally and physically.
However, they won’t have any time to sulk in despair with the New Orleans Saints coming to town for a visit in Week 5. They’ll have to figure out the best way forward without two of their most talented defensive players.
