The New England Patriots began preparations for the AFC East opener without No. 0.
Cornerback Christian Gonzalez stayed sidelined during Wednesday’s work on the unbeaten Buffalo Bills due to a shoulder injury. Defensive tackle Christian Barmore and offensive tackle Morgan Moses joined the extended All-Pro on the list of non-participants in Foxborough.
But tight end Eli Raridon, outside linebacker Dre’Mont Jones and safety Craig Woodson were at practice after landing among the inactives ahead of last
weekend’s 35-6 loss to the Jacksonville Jaguars. And the starting quarterback was officially a full participant.
Here’s the first injury report ahead of Sunday’s 1 p.m. ET kickoff at Highmark Stadium.
DID NOT PARTICIPATE
Patriots
- OT Morgan Moses (foot)
- DT Christian Barmore (shoulder)
- CB Christian Gonzalez (shoulder)
Bills
- WR Keon Coleman (ankle)
- DT T.J. Sanders (illness)
- LB Joe Andreessen (knee)
- CB Christian Benford (toe)
Last Sunday, Gonzalez had his shoulder checked out on the sideline after making a strong tackle on third down in the first quarter. No injury announcement immediately followed from the team. The shutdown corner finished the game having played 52 out of 59 defensive snaps. But as divisional prep got underway on Wednesday, he was absent along with two veterans up front. Moses, the captain of New England’s offensive line, had been limited last week due to a foot injury that resurfaced early in the blowout. The 35-year-old was eventually pulled in the third quarter with 41 offensive snaps still to go at right tackle. As for Barmore, the defensive tackle reentered after being announced as questionable with a shoulder issue heading into halftime.
LIMITED PARTICIPATION
Patriots
- FB Reggie Gilliam (knee)
- TE Eli Raridon (thigh)
- LB Dre’Mont Jones (shoulder)
- LB Christian Elliss (chest)
- S Craig Woodson (shoulder)
- S Brenden Schooler (back — NFI return)
Bills
- WR D.J. Moore (shoulder)
- DT Deone Walker (quad)
- S Damar Hamlin (ribs)
Raridon and Woodson had been listed as questionable until the 90-minute mark before kickoff at EverBank Stadium. The rookie tight end out of Notre Dame and the sophomore safety out of Cal were back among New England’s six limited participants on Wednesday. And so was Jones off the edges of the defense. The March signing, who recorded a sack in his 2026 debut, suffered a shoulder injury while attempting to recover a fumble in the Gillette Stadium home opener against the Pittsburgh Steelers. He remained absent for three consecutive practices last week before being ruled out.
FULL PARTICIPATION
Patriots
- QB Drake Maye (right shoulder)
Bills
- G Ar’maj Reed-Adams (elbow)
- LB Bradley Chubb (thumb)
- LB Terrel Bernard (knee)
- LB Dorian Williams (hip)
Last but not least, there was Maye. Wednesday marked his first 2026 appearance on the injury report. New England’s starting quarterback was a full participant in practice while working through an issue with his throwing shoulder. But during his midweek press conference, Maye told reporters that the ailment has not affected his ability to throw nor his decision making. Benched in the final quarter in Jacksonville, the 24-year-old captain ended September with seven turnovers and one touchdown while completing 63.8 percent of his pass attempts.
