The New England Patriots have suddenly reemerged as one of the top teams in the NFL after earning a pair of critical victories over the Buffalo Bills and Las Vegas Raiders in consecutive weeks. There have been a lot of encouraging signs from the team over the past two games, with one being that the team has managed to take down high-quality opponents, despite not being at full health.

One guy who missed both of these games was star cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who is the best player on the roster besides quarterback Drake Maye. While the Pats have managed to get by without Gonzalez, they obviously would rather have him on the field every week, and based on the team’s latest injury report, it seems like he is trending in the right direction.

Christian Gonzalez Practices Fully for the Patriots on Thursday

Patriots Thursday injury report for NYJ vs. NE: t.co/f93kbbJPwg

Ahead of the 2026 campaign, Gonzalez signed a four-year, $135 million contract extension with New England that made him the highest-paid player at his position in the league. While the Patriots struggled during Gonzalez’s time on the field so far this season, it wasn’t because of his play, as he’s racked up eight tackles and five pass breakups through three games.

The only thing that has slowed Gonzalez down throughout his career is injuries. He missed all but four games as a rookie because of a shoulder injury, and he got a late start to the season after he was out for N.E.’s first three games in 2025 with a hamstring injury. This time, Gonzalez has once again been battling a shoulder ailment.

Gonzalez was able to finish out the team’s Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars despite suffering this current injury in that game, but he didn’t really come close to playing in either Week 4 or 5. This week has been a different story, though, as Gonzalez seemed confident he’d play on Sunday when speaking to reporters recently. Sure enough, after logging a full participation at practice on Thursday, he’s on track to get back on the field in Week 6.

Patriots’ Defense Could Get Major Christian Gonzalez Boost in Week 6

Without Gonzalez, the Patriots leaned more on a zone-heavy scheme against the Bills and Raiders, and despite not having their lockdown corner on the field, the defense managed to slow both of these offenses down. In some ways, not having Gonzalez on the field allowed New England to throw new looks at its opponents that they weren’t expecting.

It’s clear, though, that with the New York Jets awaiting in Week 6, the Pats are getting Gonzalez back at the right time. The Jets feature one of the top wide receivers in the league (Garrett Wilson), so having Gonzalez on the field to lock him up would be a huge win for New England. Gonzalez still has to get through Friday’s practice unscathed, but right now, he’s trending in the right direction.