Just four days removed from the Patriots' season opener against the Raiders, New England got some good news for the offense with its Wednesday injury report. The same announcement also paints a troublesome picture for new coach Mike Vrabel's defense.
Three players appear on the report: undrafted rookie wide receiver Efton Chism III, second-year cornerback Charles Woods and third-year corner and 2024 second-team All-Pro Christian Gonzalez.
The good news: the relatively limited number of names on the report, and the absence of veteran wide receiver Stefon Diggs ahead of what should be his Patriots debut. Diggs was a major acquisition for New England this offseason, giving Drake Maye an experienced, potentially top-flight target right out of the gate. Diggs missed the back half of the 2024 season with the Texans after tearing his ACL, but has recovered quickly by all indications, and should be ready to go against Las Vegas.
The bad news: Gonzalez's absence. The cornerback had 59 total tackles, 11 passes defensed and a pair of interceptions and was the franchise's only non-special teams player to make an All-Pro team. Outside of quarterback Drake Maye, there may not be a more important player on the roster, and it looks as if the Patriots defense may be without him as it attempts to shut down Geno Smith and the new-look Raiders offense.
"He's continuing to work," Vrabel said of his star corner ahead of Wednesday's session, per NBC Sports Boston. "And he'll do some stuff on the side, but I'm not going to rule anybody out. ... We'll continue to work and treat and make sure that we're doing everything that we can to help him, and he's doing everything he can to get back out on the field. That's the only update I have right now."
New England vs. Las Vegas kicks off in Foxborough, Mass. at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday afternoon.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as Patriots' Wednesday Injury Report Gives Mixed News on Pair of Stars Ahead of Raiders Game.