Tuesday’s Patriots training camp session took an ugly turn when two cornerbacks walked off the field before the horn sounded. Charles Woods needed both arms around trainers just to get back inside. Carlton Davis was already gone by then, having exited earlier in the day.
Woods had been running with the first-team defense opposite Christian Gonzalez, filling in for Davis after he left. That pairing was supposed to give New England a look at its preferred secondary setup. Instead, the team got a reminder of how fast depth can disappear.
Zack Cox of the Boston Herald reported the scene: Woods leaving practice early with trainers on both sides, Davis already out. The Patriots haven’t said much about severity yet, which usually means we wait. And waiting is the worst part for a team that views its secondary as the backbone of the roster right now.
The timing isn’t ideal. Training camp just started. Gonzalez is in the middle of contract negotiations that have fans refreshing their feeds every hour. And now the two corners who flank him — arguably the most important supporting pieces in that defensive backfield — are banged up before the pads are even on full time.
Gonzalez stays quiet on extension talks
Gonzalez met with reporters Tuesday and kept things vague. No frustration, no ultimatums, but also no clarity. He’s the Patriots’ best player and everyone knows it. The front office is working on something, reportedly, but nothing’s crossed the finish line yet.
That’s the backdrop here. The team made a Super Bowl run last season, lost ugly to Seattle, and now gets an immediate rematch when the 2026 season kicks off September 10. Having a fully healthy secondary would help. Having Woods and Davis banged up before Week 1? That’s a problem.
What we know so far
Davis left practice early. Woods left shortly after. Neither injury has been detailed publicly by the team. The Patriots are still in the ramp-up phase of camp, so caution is the default. But fans online weren’t exactly calm about it.
New England’s defense relies on Gonzalez shutting down one side and letting the other corners handle their assignments. If Woods or Davis miss significant time, the depth chart gets thin fast. The team has bodies, but not bodies who have played meaningful snaps alongside a star corner in a Super Bowl window.
For now, it’s wait and see. The Seahawks game is still five weeks out. That’s a lot of time. It’s also not a lot of time if these injuries turn into something longer than a few days of rest.
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