2025 NFL Offseason Buzz: Patriots' Christian Gonzalez limps off with leg injury

Signings, injuries, fans getting mad at owners – we’re only in training camp, and NFL news has already been nonstop.

You can follow along with all the latest and most notable free agent moves here. And here’s the latest on what’s happening around the league this offseason.

Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez limps off with apparent injury

On their first day in full-pads, the Patriots All-Pro corner had to leave training camp early when he limped off the field after a play guarding receiver Stefon Diggs in 11-on-11 drills. Gonzalez was seen limping off the field under his own power towards the locker room. Gonzalez was helped by the training staff, but did not return to practice.

Jets QB Justin Fields returns to team drills at training camp post-toe injury

Fields returned to team drills on July 28, four days after dislocating a toe on his right foot. He participated in 7-on-7 drills at camp over the weekend as the team eased him back into practice. Head coach Aaron Glenn said Fields had “a ways to go” before fully returning, but after a day off Sunday, Fields ran the offense during 11-on-11 drills. 

“He was limited, but he was limited the way that we want him to be limited,” Glenn said after practice. “He made some good throws out there. And again, when Justin gets on the field — I mean, we’re going to let him be who he is.”

The Cowboys will be without Jones for two to three months after the veteran guard suffered a broken bone in his neck during Sunday’s practice, per ESPN. Jones will not require surgery, though. He suffered the injury during a practice in which he was spending time with the starters, which had not been the norm to this point, as first-round pick Tyler Booker (No. 12 overall) had been in that role during training camp. Jones joined Dallas this season as a free agent.

Browns QB Kenny Pickett will be sidelined due to hamstring injury

Pickett’s injury is believed to have occurred during a red zone 11-on-11 drill late in Saturday’s practice, per ESPN. Head coach Kevin Stefanski is expected to address Pickett’s status before Monday’s practice. Pickett will be evaluated later in the week. The Browns have their first padded practice on July 28. Pickett is vying with veteran Joe Flacco and rookies Dillon Gabriel and Shedeur Sanders for the starting spot.

Cowboys fans shout ‘Pay Micah!’ at Jerry Jones amid ongoing stalemate

Cowboys fans are growing increasingly impatient about the fact that the team has yet to reach a contract extension with All-Pro edge rusher Parsons, who’s entering the final year of his rookie deal. They let Jerry Jones know exactly how they feel about it too, shouting “Pay Micah!” as Dallas’ longtime owner addressed the crowd during the opening day of Cowboys training camp on Saturday in Oxnard, California, per CBS Sports.

[MORE: With Micah Parsons, Jerry Jones Is Playing Another Contract Game He Can’t Win]

The Cowboys are coming off a disappointing 7–10 campaign. They exercised Parsons’ fifth-year option, keeping him under contract through 2025 for $24 million — well below market value for easily one of the five best defensive players in the NFL. Still, Parsons reported to mandatory minicamp in June. Jones made headlines last week when he seemingly took a dig at Parsons’ durability, pointing out he had dealt with an injury for the first time in his career, missing a handful of games because of a high ankle sprain. 

The 26-year-old Parsons, who earned Pro Bowl honors in each of his first three seasons in the league, remains the only player in NFL history to record at least 12.0 sacks in each of his first three years. 

Shavers was carted off the field at training camp after hurting his right ankle on what proved to be the final play of practice Sunday. He made a catch in the end zone and fell awkwardly while attempting to protect the ball from rookie cornerback Maxwell Hairston. Shavers was on the ground for several minutes while being tended to by the training staff, leading to head coach Sean McDermott ending practice a few minutes earlier than scheduled.

The 25-year-old signed with Buffalo as an undrafted rookie free agent two years ago and appeared in three games with the Bills last season. Also, starting linebacker Terrel Bernard and starting receiver Curtis Samuel did not practice Sunday, as both are dealing with hamstring injuries. The team had no update on the severity of the injuries.

The 49ers activated second-year receiver Pearsall from the PUP list, and he practiced for the first time this summer. Purdy was also back at practice Sunday after missing a session on Friday for personal reasons.

Pearsall had been out since injuring his hamstring during the offseason program. The Niners are counting on a big season from the 2024 first-round pick after trading away Deebo Samuel and with Brandon Aiyuk expected to miss the start of the season recovering from knee surgery. Pearsall finished the 2025 season with 31 catches for 400 yards and three touchdowns in 11 games, including 14 catches for 210 yards and two touchdowns in his final two games.

McLaurin reported to training camp on Sunday following a four-day holdout, but the 2024 second-team All-Pro and the team have yet to agree on new contract terms. The Commanders removed McLaurin from the reserve/did not report list for camp and placed their leading receiver on the PUP list because of an ankle injury from the previous season, according to head coach Dan Quinn.

Despite the limbo status, fans were thrilled to see McLaurin, serenading him with chants of “Terry! Terry!” The 29-year-old spent roughly 30 minutes signing autographs and taking photos before briefly speaking with reporters. 

McLaurin did not report on Tuesday along with his teammates and incurred a $50,000 daily fine for skipping the first four official days of camp. The seven-year veteran has one year remaining on a three-year, $68.2 million extension signed in 2022 but has been seeking a new deal. He set a career-high with 13 touchdown receptions and had 1,096 yards last season on 82 receptions. 

McLaurin participated in early portions of Washington’s offseason program but skipped the on-field portions of OTAs and mandatory minicamp.

Stafford will miss the second week of training camp to rest his sore back, according to multiple reports. The 37-year-old hasn’t practiced with the Rams since the start of camp. Head coach Sean McVay initially said Stafford would only miss the Rams’ first four practices while recovering from back soreness that had “crept up” in recent weeks.

“I probably spoke a little bit too soon, but the ultimate goal is (being ready for Week 1 of the regular season) and being mindful of that, so we’ll take it a week at a time with him,”  McVay said after the Rams’ fourth practice of camp.

McVay was already planning to limit the training camp practices of Stafford and several veterans, and the coach traditionally does not use any key players in Los Angeles’ preseason games. 

“He’s doing really well,” McVay said of Stafford, who is heading into his 17th NFL season and his fifth with the Rams. “We’ve got a good plan in place. We are still going to take some more time with him, though. Nothing has changed in terms of the setback.”

Concern growing for Texans RB Joe Mixon‘s ankle injury

Mixon opened training camp on the non-football injury list after missing OTAs and minicamp with an ankle injury. He’s expected to miss the majority of the preseason and will be reevaluated closer to the start of the regular season, per ESPN. The 29-year-old Mixon, who injured his ankle during the offseason, rushed for 1,016 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2024, earning him Pro Bowl honors in his first season for the Texans and spending the first six years of his NFL career with the Bengals. The Texans have their first preseason game on Aug. 9, a road tilt against the Vikings.

Check back for updates. 

The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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