Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez (hamstring) out vs. Raiders - ESPN

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — New England Patriots starting cornerback Christian Gonzalez won't play in Sunday's season opener against the Las Vegas Raiders because of a hamstring injury, head coach Mike Vrabel said Friday.

Gonzalez, who was a second-team All-Pro in 2024, sustained the injury in practice on July 28 while covering wide receiver Stefon Diggs on a crossing route. He pulled up, holding the back of his left leg, and hasn't practiced since.

The Patriots entered 2025 with high hopes for a 1-2 cornerback combination of Gonzalez and veteran Carlton Davis III, whom they signed to a three-year, $54 million contract that includes $34.5 million in guarantees in March. Vrabel had joked that the Patriots' plan was to play «cat coverage» with Gonzalez and Davis — «You got that cat, I got this cat, and we can go to work.»

Now Vrabel says the Patriots could turn to Alex Austin, who has had to claw his way to this point since entering the NFL as a seventh-round draft choice of the Buffalo Bills in 2023 out of Oregon State. The 6-foot-1, 191-pound Austin, who was waived by the Bills at the end of 2023 training camp and then played in three games for the Texans, initially joined the Patriots in November of 2023.

He has since played in 17 games (four starts) in New England and most recently has been working as a top backup to Gonzalez in addition to playing in the slot. Fourth-year pro Marcus Jones (31 games, 14 starts) and 2024 sixth-round draft pick DJ James (no career games) are other options for Vrabel and his staff to consider in Gonzalez's place.

Gonzalez, a 2023 first-round draft pick out of Oregon, will be eligible for a contract extension for the first time after the 2025 season. He was limited to four games as a rookie after