New England Patriots All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez has officially been ruled out for the team's Week 1 matchup with the Las Vegas Raiders on Sunday.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel confirmed the news to media members on Friday.
That means the Patriots will enter their first game of the season without their best defensive player. Backup cornerback Alex Austin is likely to get the start across from Carlton Davis III.
Gonzalez has been working his way back from the hamstring injury he suffered during training camp. There was hope that it wouldn't be a long-term issue, but the star defensive back clearly still isn't 100 percent.