One of the biggest headlines for the New England Patriots this week has been star cornerback Christian Gonzalez's absence from Tuesday's joint training camp practice with the Indianapolis Colts.
Some wondered if he skipped the practice due to his ongoing contract situation. With the intensity increasing for the scrimmage, perhaps Gonzalez finally decided enough was enough and held out of participating.
However, ESPN's Mike Reiss pointed to another possibility. At the end of Monday's practice, there was a play in the end zone where Gonzalez looked like he might have been injured while attempting to guard veteran receiver Romeo Doubs.
In a pregame interview with 98.5 The Sports Hub on Thursday, via Boston Herald's Zack Cox, Vrabel confirmed the injury was the reason why Gonzalez didn't practice.
“Everybody that was healthy practiced (Tuesday),” Vrabel said. “So those guys, we didn’t deem them healthy enough to go out there and participate. When they’re ready, they’ll be back out there. I feel like they’ve all tried to start camp with their own purpose. Gonzo came out competitive and practiced and, I thought, improved. As good as he is, he knows he can still improve.”
Vrabel's reasoning makes sense considering Gonzalez has been a full participant throughout training camp, despite his ongoing contract negotiations.
Granted, the Patriots are hoping to get a deal done sooner rather than later, but they are also hoping to have their star defender available to them for the 2026 season.
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Mike Vrabel reveals real reason Christian Gonzalez missed practice