Patriots' Christian Gonzalez Sitting Out of Camp Considered 'Logical' Amid Injury originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
If there's one downside to some of Christian Gonzalez's play over the past few seasons for the New England Patriots, it's been the fact that he's dealt with some injuries.
There's no other way to put it: Gonzalez just hasn't been able to stay healthy at times.
It's an unfortunate reality for one of the better players in the NFL, as he appeared in four games during his rookie season and 14 last year. He's also dealing with something at the moment, and with his contract being such a big talking point, some are starting to believe that any injury could put him in a different position regarding potentially sitting out.
A CBS writer believes that with this latest injury news, Gonzalez should take a step back and realize that he needs to take it easy.
“Could this injury, while reportedly minor, have been a wake-up call of sorts for Gonzalez? For someone eyeing a record-setting contract, a serious injury would crater negotiations. With this latest tweak in mind, it'd be logical for Gonzalez to realize he should possibly take his foot off the gas in camp, especially with a joint practice on the horizon,” Tyler Sullivan of CBS wrote.
Gonzalez doesn't seem to be the type of guy who is going to sit out just for the sake of it. If he's healthy, even without a contract, he's continued to prove that he'll be on the field no matter what.
The Patriots have also been willing to pay him.
The new reports indicate that he wants to be paid as the top defender in the NFL for the 2027 season and beyond, rather than in the 2026 offseason, so he could be waiting a year to get more money. That's something he'll ultimately have to determine whether it's right or not, so only time will tell on that front.