New England Patriots 'likely' to get significant boost on defense for Week 4

Mike Moraitis

New England Patriots 'likely' to get significant boost on defense for Week 4 image

Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

The New England Patriots have been forced to navigate the first three games of the 2025 season without their top cornerback, Christian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez has been hampered by a hamstring injury since the offseason and his absence over the first three contests has been noticeable, to say the least.

The Patriots are giving up 256.3 passing yards per game, which ranks 29th in the NFL.

However, the good news is, it appears the Patriots might get Gonzalez back in Week 4.

Christian Gonzalez injury update

According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz, Gonzalez is "likely" to make his 2025 debut in Week 4 against the Carolina Panthers.

Schultz notes that Gonzalez was "close" to returning in Week 3.

"Sources: Patriots star CB Christian Gonzalez has made 'good progress' in his hamstring recovery and is likely to make his season debut Sunday vs the Panthers. I’m told Gonzalez was 'close' in Week 3 and has responded well to the additional work this week, putting him in line to play," Schultz reported on Thursday.

Gonzalez was unable to take part in any practices over the first two weeks of the season, but he finally made his return with three limited sessions last week.

On Wednesday, Gonzalez was a limited participant once again. Turning in a full practice this week would pretty much cement his chances of returning.

A 2023 first-round pick, Gonzalez appeared in just four games during his rookie campaign due to injury, but he bounced back in a big way in 2024 by posting a completion rate against of 55.7 and a passer rating of 71.7.

His return will provide a significant boost to the Patriots' defense.

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Mike Moraitis

Mike Moraitis is a freelance writer who covers the NFL for the Sporting News. Over his nearly two decades covering sports, Mike has also worked for Bleacher Report, USA TODAY and FanSided. He hates writing in the third person.