Patriots won't have starting CBs Gonzalez, Davis

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  Mike ReissOct 9, 2026, 01:23 PM ET

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  Mike Reiss is an NFL reporter at ESPN and covers the New England Patriots. Reiss has covered the Patriots since 1997 and joined ESPN in 2009. In 2019, he was named Massachusetts Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association.

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- The New England Patriots will be without starting cornerbacks Christian Gonzalez and Carlton Davis III for Sunday's home game against the Las Vegas Raiders, coach Mike Vrabel said.

In addition, Vrabel said backup cornerbacks Karon Prunty (hamstring) and Channing Canada (hamstring) are out, along with fullback Reggie Gilliam (ankle/knee) and veteran receiver Mack Hollins (calf).

Gonzalez misses his second straight game after sustaining a shoulder injury in a Week 3 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. He played through the injury that day, which came in the first quarter when he closed quickly and delivered a physical tackle on a short pass to force a punt. While Gonzalez said he was "good" after the game, he hasn't practiced since.

Meanwhile, Davis misses his second game of the season after having been sidelined for a Week 2 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers, also due to his neck.

While the Raiders (3-1) are thinner at receiver, they use ultra-productive tight end Brock Bowers in a receiver-type role. So the Patriots (2-2) might need to alter their game-plan on Bowers (6-foot-3, 235 pounds) due to their cornerback conundrum.

The expectation is that slot corner Marcus Jones (5-8,188) will play more on the outside, as he did last week in place of Gonzalez. Third-year player Charles Woods (5-11, 185) has also seen his role increase, although he was limited in practice this week due to a shoulder injury.

Seven-year veteran Kindle Vildor (5-11, 190), who was elevated from the practice squad last week and backed up Woods, is likely to be part of the game-plan again this week. Defensive coordinator Zak Kuhr referred to Vildor as the "ultimate pro", adding that "if he has to go in there, we'd be excited about it."

Meanwhile, starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson has been limited in practice this week, but Vrabel said Friday he still has a chance to play Sunday.

Vrabel added that roster moves are expected by Saturday's 4 p.m. ET deadline to account for the six players already ruled out. He said special teams ace Brenden Schooler is expected to be activated from the reserve/non-football injury list to fill one spot on the roster.