Patriots vs. Panthers Inactives: Star CB is Back

FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — The New England Patriots are set for their Week 4 contest with the Carolina Panthers at Gillette Stadium.

With just under an hour until the 1:00 p.m. ET kickoff, the Patriots and Panthers have released their lists of inactives:

PATRIOTS INACTIVES:

RG Jared Wilson

DT Eric Gregory

G Caedan Wallace

WR Efton Chism, III

OLB Elijah Ponder

QB Tommy DeVito (3rd QB)

What it means for the Patriots:

Wilson missed the first two days of practice for Week 4 preparations. Though he was present for the media portion of New England’s third and final practice of the week, the team decided to declare him out for Week 4. As their starting left guard, Wilson has aligned on every snap taken by the Patriots on offense this season. Known for his athleticism and versatility, the Georgia rookie has already provided a boost to a beleaguered Pats offensive line in desperate need of both. Still, Wilson was seen limping at times during the Pats’ Week 3 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers last weekend. 

In his absence, reserve interior lineman Ben Brown played alongside starting left tackle Will Campbell. With Wilson unable to play, Brown is the expected to choice to start at left guard, having taken multiple snaps at the position during both training camp and the preseason.

For Gonzalez, his return is an event which has been months in the making. Prior to taking the field for their first practice of Week 4, both Vrabel and Gonzalez himself. Vrabel confirmed that Gonzalez will see an increase in on-field duties this week at practice. Ultimately, both the Pats and their top cornerback remain hopeful that the enhancements to his workload will allow Gonzalez to make his season debut this weekend at Gillette Stadium. 

Gonzalez originally injured his hamstring while attempting to cover receiver Stefon Diggs on a crossing route when he began favoring his left leg. Until last week, the second-team All-Pro had been absent from all on-field activities, including New England’s first three games of the 2025 NFL season. It is certain that the team will benefit from his presence. The Patriots, in Gonzalez’s absence, have allowed 22.7 points per game, ranking 18th in the NFL in that department. Their pass defense has suffered mightily, ranking 29th by the opponent-and-situation-adjusted metric DVOA, 28th by EPA (Expected Points Added) and bottom-5 in coverage, according to Pro Football Focus.