New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez told reporters Wednesday he is ready to play Sunday against the New York Jets after missing two games with a shoulder injury.
“I’m good now, ready for Sunday,” Gonzalez said. Coach Mike Vrabel said Gonzalez would “try to do some stuff” at Wednesday’s practice as New England prepares for a 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Gillette Stadium, then a short week before Thursday Night Football at Chicago.
“I’ve been itching”
Gonzalez injured the shoulder in the Week 3 loss at Jacksonville and sat out wins over Buffalo and Las Vegas. The Patriots won both games while also missing Carlton Davis and other corners at points, and Gonzalez said the wait has been hard.
“I’ve been itching, kind of going a little crazy when I’m not getting to play,” he said. “It’s hard. You put in work with all these guys and then you don’t get to be out there with them.”
Vrabel separated Gonzalez’s status from Davis’s. Asked if Davis was in the same boat, Vrabel said simply, “Nope, not the same boat.” Gonzalez’s return sets up a likely matchup with Jets wide receiver Garrett Wilson, who has been one of Geno Smith’s most reliable targets.
OL depth as Campbell’s MCL is managed
Vrabel also opened the 21-day practice window for swing tackle Marcus Bryant, who has been on injured reserve since a preseason knee injury. Bryant’s return comes days after starting left tackle Will Campbell was diagnosed with a sprained right MCL against the Raiders. Rookie Caleb Lomu filled in on the blind side, and Campbell said Wednesday he planned to try some things at practice.
Vrabel said any IR decisions would wait until the Saturday 4 p.m. deadline. “If we were putting anybody on IR, we probably would wait till then,” he said.
Brown’s window is already open
Wide receiver A.J. Brown, designated to return earlier Wednesday, practiced for the first time since his Week 1 high-ankle sprain. Vrabel said the staff will “see how that goes” before deciding whether Brown is activated this week or later in the 21-day window, with a short week to Chicago already on the calendar.
The Patriots are 3-2 and have one open active roster spot. Getting Gonzalez back is the clearest defensive upgrade available for a division game against the Jets.
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