Patriots Training Camp Notebook: Pads On, Christian Gonzalez Out?

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — In the words of Cobra Kai sensei John Kreese, the New England Patriots are "about to begin their REAL training.”

While that comparison might seem a bit too intense for only the fifth day of training camp practices, it is relevant. It was “Pad Monday” for the Pats as they took the fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium.

When the pads are put on, the contact increases, the attitudes intensify and the action on the field gets a bit more real. In fact, head coach Mike Vrabel outlined the Pats’ plan of action when speaking with the media just prior to the start of Monday’s session.

“It’ll be twofold, we'll be down in the red zone,” Vrabel said. “We'll be getting a lot of work in the red zone. Things happen a lot quicker down there, tighter windows, just the speed of everything. It just gets sped up, and so that'll be good for us to move on to that situation as well as see how we start to practice in pads and our pad level, our fundamentals, our hands, and those types of things.”

In that vein, here are some highlights from Day 5 on a seasonably warm, partly sunny day in New England:

Roll Call:

Making his long-awaited camp debut, second-year receiver Ja’Lynn Polk was present in full pads for Monday’s practice. Polk, who has been conspicuous by his absence from on-field action due to what has been reported as “minor muscle tightness,” is facing strong competition as he attempts to earn a spot on the team’s 53-man roster.

Cornerback Carlton Davis and linebacker Jahlani Tavai were absent. Tavai, who began camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list due to a lower leg injury, left Saturday’s practice during positional drills.

Receiver Mack Hollins, offensive lineman Vederian Lowe and tight end Austin Hooper remain away from the field on PUP, while safety Josh Minkins returned from the non-football injury (NFI) list.

Injury Watch:

Just two plays into 11-on-11 drills, cornerback Christian Gonzalez was forced to leave practice due to an apparent leg injury.

Gonzalez was attempting to cover receiver Stefon Diggs on a crossing route when he began favoring his left leg. He walked carefully, under his own power, to the medical shed adjacent to the practice fields where he was attended to by members of the Patriots’ training staff, and did not return to practice after his departure.

Quarterback Snapshot:

Per Vrabel’s pre-practice decree, the donning of the pads placed a greater emphasis on red-zone offense — primarily in the running game. Starter Drake Maye completed 5-of-6 while tossing a handful of potential scoring strikes off play action. The 22-year-old also successfully tested his ingenuity on a crossing concept. Rather than challenging the defense’s stout coverage, he fed running back Antonio Gibson just short of the goal line for a would-be touchdown.

Reserve Joshua Dobbs went 2-of-2 during 11-on-11s. His highlight came on a lower red-zone score off of a bootleg which opened rookie tight end Gee Scott for the reception.

Rookie Ben Wooldridge completed 2-of 3, with his only miss coming on an attempted bootleg scoring strike intended for tight end Jaheim Bell.

Offensive Observations:

With padded practices upon them, the Patriots offensive line was finally able to showcase its potential against a powerful Patriots defensive front. As expected, one-on-one drills heavily favored the defense, with defensive end Keion White winning his battle against rookie left tackle Will Campbell. Still, Campbell held his own during 11-on-11s by moving defensive tackle Milton Williams twice in runs to the left side. The Pats’ fourth overall selection in April’s draft also attempted to even the score with White by standing up to the powerful rusher in pass protection.

Rookie Jared Wilson continues to align at various points along the line. Wilson saw significant snaps at both left guard and center. While Wilson continues to make his case for a significant role within the Pats offensive this season, he also contributed to a fumbled snap to Maye — the second time such a miscue has occurred this camp. The 22-year-old looked strong and sharp on a pair of combo blocks alongside Campbell during team drills.

Despite missing the entirety of the first week of training camp, receiver Ja’Lynn Polk returned to the field on Monday. The Washington product opened the eyes of fans in attendance by turning a corner route into catching a Maye pass for a deep red-zone touchdown on a play-action fake. Polk, who had been battling some muscle soreness, appeard to be moving well throuhgout the session.

Receiver Kayshon Boutte continues to make a strong case to be included among the team’s corps of pass catchers in 2025 with a solid performance. During one-on-one matchups against cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the former LSU standout caught both of his targets, one of which would have been a touchdown. Boutte’s work ethic and skill set have blended together nicely thus far. As a result, he appears poised to factor into the Pats offensive plans this season.

Defensive Observations:

New England’s stout, aggressive style of defense was on full display during the first day of padded practices. The Pats' pass rush was unofficially credited with three sacks on Monday, including two from free agent veteran K’Lavon Chiasson. As the team continues to adjust from their two-gapping style to a more prominent forward pushing system, New England’s pass defense will gain additional momentum.

When defending the run, the defense won their battles along the line of scrimmage, as well. Per Andrew Callahan of the Boston Herald, the Pats run stopper stuffed eight of 27 runs in 11-on-11s. Though the offensive line has shown more promise than in recent sessions, the defensive line is far ahead of their counterparts in the short game.

Up Next:

The Patriots will return to the practice fields adjacent to Gillette Stadium for their sixth day of training camp sessions. Practice is set to begin at 10:15am ET with a sweltering heat index expected to make conditions quite interesting.