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    Christian Gonzalez disappointed by contract talks

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    ESPN’s Mike Reiss says Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez “expressed disappointment” in his contract extension negotiations.

    Gonzalez and the Pats have continued negotiations on a top-of-the-market extension for the 24-year-old cornerback, but are not yet close to an agreement. Fellow corner Devon Witherspoon signed his deal earlier in August but Gonzalez has still yet to sign a similar or slightly larger deal. He said, “it’s frustrating, but I’m focused on the season.” A deal can still come before the Patriots play in Week 1 but it’s clear Gonzalez is disappointed in negotiations despite not holding out.
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    Gonzalez missed practice on Tuesday, didn’t play in the Patriots’ preseason game on Thursday and remains off the field for Saturday’s practice. Still awaiting a contract extension from the Patriots, Gonzalez’ absence is related to an injury he suffered in practice last week, according to Patriots HC Mike Vrabel. While Gonzalez won’t practice, Vrabel said he’ll get treatment and work on conditioning, which implies the injury isn’t serious.
  • NE Cornerback #0
    “These are my guys,” Gonzalez said. “It’s hard to sit and just watch. I like to be out on the field. This is what I love to do. At the end of the day, I’ve got to get better for myself and for the team. I’m focused on being here at training camp right now, taking it day-by-day, and see where it goes.” Gonzalez has (per Robert Kraft) been offered a top of the market amount for a cornerback. We’ll see where this goes, but it’s great news for the Pats that Gonzalez isn’t holding in.
  • NE Cornerback #0
    The number to beat is $31 million. That’s the highest average annual value currently at the cornerback position and it comes from Rams CB Trent McDuffie’s four-year, $124 million extension that included $100 million guaranteed. Gonzalez, who was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time last year, is aiming for a contract in that range. He reported to mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason, but didn’t participate in drills. Gonzalez was spotted at Patriots training camp on Saturday. While he doesn’t officially have a new contract quite yet, negotiations appear to be coming to an end. Kraft stated that the team hopes to have Gonzalez, who turned 24 last month, for a long time.
  • NE Cornerback #0
    Vrabel was noncommittal about whether Gonzalez would participate in practice, instead saying he “would expect him to participate.” The fourth-year corner is in the midst of contract negotiations and could reset the cornerback market when he eventually agrees to an extension. Gonzalez reported to mandatory minicamp earlier this offseason but did not participate in full team drills, and there’s been some speculation he could opt to hold in at camp while waiting for a new deal. The Patriots will take the practice field for the first time on Saturday, whether or not Gonzalez joins them in full capacity will be something to watch for.
  • SEA Cornerback #21
    The Seahawks have “made an extraordinary effort” to sign Witherspoon before training camp, per Rapoport. The deal would “almost certainly” make Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL and Rapoport said $32 million a season would be the new benchmark and he’d be surprised if the deal wasn’t around there. Sounds like there’s a chance this deal is knocked out sooner rather than later, and obviously if and when it does get done, Christian Gonzalez of the Patriots will be next in line to get his own record-setting extension.
  • NE Cornerback #0
    Reiss believes Gonzalez “might have been sending a message to the team this spring” by sitting out the majority of the voluntary program and participating only in “the lower-speed/lower-tempo parts of mandatory minicamp.” We think Reiss is probably onto something here. Gonzalez turned 24 today and has already earned one second-team All-Pro nod and Pro Bowl honors, and is under team control for two more years after his fifth-year option was picked up this offseason. It’s in Gonzalez’s best interests to do whatever he can to get an extension now, so a hold-in would not be a surprising result.
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    The Patriots hosted two OTA sessions last week, one of which was open to reporters. Gonzalez was not present. Reiss notes that Gonzalez “had participated in the team’s voluntary offseason program each of the prior three seasons.” His absence “coincides with this offseason marking the first time Gonzalez is eligible for a contract extension.” The Patriots exercised Gonzalez’s fifth-year option late in April, keeping him under contract through 2027. Rumors that both sides have been working on an extension have been swirling. Until Gonzalez misses mandatory work, this probably doesn’t mean much — but this is a sign that he could opt to skip mandatory work while his contract situation plays out.
  • NE Cornerback #0
    Gonzalez will get a one-year, $18.1 million deal for 2027. The Patriots have reportedly been in extension talks with him at various points this offseason, so while nothing has gotten done yet, it’s certainly likely to be a point of discussion ahead of the season. New England’s No. 1 corner has developed into one of the best in the NFL in his first three seasons with the club.
  • NE Cornerback #0
    Gonzalez was removed from the Patriots’ injury report on Friday following his Wild Card Round concussion and subsequent placement in the league’s concussion protocol. He’ll join a solid New England secondary going against a Texans offense that will be without Nico Collins (concussion). Patriots declared CB Kobee Minor, LB Bradyn Swinson, OT Marcus Bryant, DT Eric Gregory, G Caedan Wallace, TE CJ Dippre, and QB Tommy DeVito inactive against Houston.
  • NE Cornerback #0
    Mike Vrabel said Gonzalez would be questionable before practice, but he cleared protocol and will officially suit up against the Texans on Sunday. The star cornerback is one of New England’s best players and it’s great news for their defense that he’ll not miss any time after leaving Sunday’s win over the Chargers with a concussion.

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    Cardinals coach Mike LaFleur said it’s “too early to tell” if James Conner (ankle) will play in Week 1.

    Conner suffered a season-ending ankle injury early in the 2025 season. He avoided the PUP list to start training camp but has yet to participate in 11-on-11 drills. With the season nearly two weeks away, it certainly doesn’t look like Conner will be available for Week 1. Trey Benson is on injured reserve and Jeremiyah Love is on the mend with an ankle issue of his own. It’s possible Tyler Allgeier earns a three-down role to open the season, making him a priority target for ZeroRB drafters.
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    Broncos released Taylor Rapp.

    Rapp was released by the Bills during the offseason. The Broncos signed him a week ago but are choosing to go in a different direction. Rapp has 72 career starts, including six last year, and won’t turn 29 until later this year. He should be able to find a team before the start of the season, but it might not happen until after teams let their 53-man rosters shake out over the next week.
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    Broncos signed Foster Sarell, formerly of the Chargers.

    The team also signed defensive tackle Israel Antwine. Foster spent the first four years of his career with the Chargers. He appeared in six games last year, including his first career start. He will be fighting for a depth role on the Broncos’ roster.
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    Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Patrick Mahomes (knee) will not play in the team’s final preseason game against the Seahawks.

    Mahomes will sit the entire preseason, though that shouldn’t be taken as an indication that he won’t be ready for Week 1. He suffered a torn ACL and LCL in Week 15 last year, which would normally make the 2026 opener a tight turnaround. Superstars just recover differently from other players. Mahomes has had no issues throwing or running during training camp and his absence from the preseason is likely a precautionary measure from Andy Reid and the Chiefs. We fully expect him to take on the Broncos when Week 1 rolls around.
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    Chiefs coach Andy Reid said Kenneth Walker’s shoe caused some swelling around his ankle, but he will be fine.

    Walker was held out of practice recently because of the issue, but this seems to be as minor as it gets. It’s safe to assume Walker will be back at practice soon, likely without any limitations. Walker has been going at the top of the second round of fantasy drafts. This little injury scare shouldn’t move that ADP in the slightest. He remains a strong RB1 bet this year.
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    Josh Downs said he is dealing with a “very minor” calf injury.

    Downs is out of practice once again. He previously missed time in camp with a groin injury. Downs dealt with a slew of health issues last year and the fact that things continue to crop up is concerning, but it doesn’t sound like the latest injury will hold him out long. he told reporters he thinks he will be back soon, and the fact that he was even allowed to talk to the media is a good sign. With Alec Pierce still on the mend from offseason ankle surgery, Downs and Keenan Allen could be the team’s top receivers to start the year. As long as Downs stays healthy, he should put up WR3 fantasy numbers this season.
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    Luther Burden (groin) returned for a “short, light practice” on Wednesday.

    The Chicago Tribune’s Sean Hammond made it clear that this was the first of many steps toward a full return for Burden, but it’s still a good sign that he’s back on the field. With more than two weeks until the Bears’ first game of the season, Burden appears to be on track to play in Week 1. Burden has been going outside the top 20 wide receivers in Best Ball drafts following the injury. That buying window is likely to close as long as he doesn’t suffer any setbacks. Burden remains a high-risk, high-reward WR2 bet.
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    Falcons coach Kevin Stefanski said Michael Penix (knee) will not play in the team’s final preseason game against the Dolphins.

    Tua Tagovailoa will start versus his old team. NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport said yesterday that Tua’s horrid play throughout training camp and the preseason has made it impossible for the team to name him the Week 1 starter. Penix finally joined 11-on-11 drills this week, but his absence from the preseason contest suggests the team isn’t quite ready to put him in harm’s way. The matchup with Miami will be Tua’s final shot at winning the job.
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    The Athletic’s Nicki Jhabvala said the Commanders offensive line was “inoperable” during a Wednesday joint practice with the Ravens.

    Beat writers for the Commanders were aghast at what they saw during Wednesday’s joint practice, a dominant performance for Baltimore against an overmatched Washington offensive line. This is the worst I’ve ever seen the Commanders’ offense in years,” Jhabvala said. “Inoperable offensive line.” Washington this summer lost standout LT Laremy Tunsil to a tricep injury that will keep him sidelined throughout the regular season. The Commanders on Tuesday signed free agent OT DJ Humphries. If the team’s blocking issues are not adequately addressed in the coming weeks, it could be bad news for Jayden Daniels and the rest of the Commanders’ fantasy-relevant players. Last year Washington ranked 18th in pass blocking win rate and 21st in run blocking win rate.
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    Packers general manager Brian Gutekunst said the team has been “preparing” in case Josh Jacobs is suspended.

    “We’ve obviously been preparing for that in case that happens,” Gutekunst said when asked about Jacobs, who in May was arrested on domestic abuse charges. “But at the same time, I feel really good about the guys we have in that room.” ESPN’s Adam Schefter said in August that the league would likely suspend Jacobs, though the length of the suspension had yet to be determined. MarShawn Lloyd would likely function as Green Bay’s lead back if Jacobs — who’s dealing with a lingering groin issue — misses regular season games. The oft-injured Lloyd has stayed healthy this offseason and has reportedly run well in training camp and joint practices. In last week’s preseason game against Denver, Lloyd played on 5-of-7 snaps during the first drive with the team’s starters.