Patriots coach Vrabel explains cornerback Christian Gonzalez's recent practice absence

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez missed both Thursday's preseason opener and Tuesday's joint practice with the Indianapolis Colts, marking his first missed session of the summer. Coach Mike Vrabel described the absence as a physical limitation, noting that Gonzalez was "physically unavailable" after a hard fall while contesting a jump ball with wide receiver Romeo Doubs in the end zone. The play appeared to shake him, though no major injury was reported.

Vrabel said several other players, such as Christian Elliss, Brenden Schooler, Harold Landry and Christian Barmore, were also receiving treatment and were part of the same group. Gonzalez, 23, is currently negotiating the fourth year of his rookie contract, a deal that could influence the cornerback market. He had been a limited participant in spring minicamp but was fully involved in training camp before the recent incident.