FOXBORO — And the Christian Gonzalez saga continues.
Gonzalez missed a third straight practice Sunday, while other Patriots players dealing with injuries returned to participate in a 90-minute walkthrough. Outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones, who left the field Saturday before team drills, reclaimed his spot on the starting defense. Inside linebacker Christian Elliss, limited Saturday after suffering an apparent injury Tuesday, started, too. All players wore jerseys, shorts or sweatpants and sneakers as they jogged through plays.
Gonzalez has not been seen on a field since the end of Monday’s practice, when he took a hard fall defending Romeo Doubs on an end-zone throw. Mike Vrabel has maintained Gonzalez is not ready to practice and called him “physically unavailable” earlier this week. Gonzalez’s absence comes as the Patriots continue to negotiate a contract extension with him and his agent, Reggie Johnson, who wrapped up a record-setting extension for Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon on Saturday.
Defensive tackle Christian Barmore was also absent, giving the Patriots two major missing pieces on a defense that will host Jalen Hurts, Saquon Barkley and the Eagles for two joint practices in a few days.
Elsewhere, Kyle Williams received a promotion, a rookie continued to run with the starting defense and the safeties were more involved in 11-on-11 periods.
Here are the Herald’s complete practice observations:
Attendance
Returned: OLB Dre’Mont Jones, LB Chad Muma, WR Kobe Prentice, S Eric Butler
Absent: CB Christian Gonzalez, DL Christian Barmore, OL Ben Brown, OLB Xavier Holmes, WR Kyle Dixpon
PUP: OLB Harold Landry
NFI: S Brenden Schooler
Notes: Muma, Prentice and Butler all returned after one-day absences and playing significant roles in Thursday’s preseason opener. Barmore has been absent or limited for most of the last two weeks. Brown is not expected to return during the preseason, while Holmes and Dixon have now missed multiple practices and the preseason game.
QB Corner
FOXBORO, MA – AUGUST 15-SATURDAY: Patriots quarterback Drake Maye throws a pass during training camp at Gillette Stadium Saturday, August 15, 2026, in Foxboro, Massachusetts. (Photo by Paul Connors/Media News Group/Boston Herald)
Note: The passing stats below were tallied during competitive 11-on-11 periods only. The stats in parentheses represent the quarterbacks’ camp-long performance.
Drake Maye: N/A (124-of-187, 6 INTs, 9 sacks)
Tommy DeVito: N/A (91-of-138, INT, 7 sacks)
Behren Morton: N/A (36-of-56, 3 sacks)
Offensive notes
Kyle Williams’ elevation to the starting group in the opening team period was the only notable change from previous walkthroughs, when the state of the Patriots’ depth chart is most clear.
Williams was one of seven receivers to work alongside Drake Maye, who had the same offensive line during that period. He also threw to tight ends Hunter Henry and Eli Raridon, and had Rhamondre Stevenson, TreVeyon Henderson and Lan Larison rotating into the backfield.
The second-team offensive line was, from left to right: Marcus Bryant, Mekhi Butler, Jacob Rizy, James Hudson III and Caleb Lomu.
Since spending three practices at left tackle last week, Lomu has returned to right tackle and not taken any starting reps.
This was new: the starting offense left the regular practice fields for multiple periods to work inside the indoor practice bubble, where loud music could be heard blaring, possibly to simulate the upcoming road environment in Seattle for the team’s season opener.
Among the players left behind, possibly to provide scout-team looks for the starting defense: tight ends Tanner Arkin and Jack Westover, running back Jam Miller and sixth-round rookie offensive tackle Dametrious Crownover.
Defensive notes
Top personnel during 11-on-11s: defensive tackles Milton Williams, Cory Durden, Joshua Farmer and Isaiah Iton, outside linebackers Dre’Mont Jones, Elijah Ponder, Gabe Jacas and Quintayvious Hutchins, inside linebackers Robert Spillane and Christian Elliss, cornerbacks Carlton Davis, Charles Woods and Marcus Jones, safeties Kevin Byard III, Craig Woodson, Dell Pettus and John Saunders Jr.
All other defensive players worked on a separate field opposite offensive reserves during the initial 11-on-11 period. Most notable among them were defensive tackles Eric Gregory and Leonard Taylor III, linebackers K.J. Britt and Khalil Jacobs, cornerbacks Kindle Vildor and Karon Prunty and edge rusher Bradyn Swinson.
Taylor, Gregory, Britt, Jacobs and Vildor later rotated into the starting defense during a period that separated the top offensive and defensive personnel groups.
Iton’s reps with the starters was a first this summer. He looked slated for a practice-squad spot last summer before suffering a season-ending injury in the preseason.
Mirroring their personnel usage in Thursday’s exhibition, the Patriots opened with a three-safety nickel package in the first 11-on-11 drill. Last season, three-cornerback personnel was their chief nickel grouping.
Special teams
Punt returners: Marcus Jones, DeMario Douglas, Romeo Doubs and Kobe Prentice.
Extra points
The Patriots will return to the field Monday for their 17th training camp practice. It will start at 10:15 a.m. and be closed to the public.
The next practice open to fans will be Wednesday’s joint session with the Eagles. On Sunday, Eagles coach Nick Sirianni said he plans to give his starters several reps over the two planned joint practices in Foxboro.