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Gonzalez, who missed practice time with a sore knee last week, is listed as questionable this week due to a sore ankle.
Asked specifically if Gonzalez would play this weekend, Vermeil replied: "I expect him to play on Sunday."
When a reporter pressed further -- asking "You just held him out?" -- the coach revisited his initial statement.
"It was bothering him a little bit," Vermeil explained. "And on that turf in there it’s harder than being on the natural grass. It was precautionary and it wasn’t game day."
In a semi-related note. ...
The Sports XChange reports that rookie halfback Larry Johnson, who spent his first Sunday as a pro on the inactive list, may not suit up this week, either.
With Gonzalez hurting, coaches believe it's more important to suit up three tight ends than five running backs, and right now Johnson continues to run behind Derrick Blaylock as Priest Holmes' backup. ...
And speaking of Holmes. ...
In an article published Wednesday, Pro Football Weekly noted that Vermeil could tell the star halfback wasn’t himself during much of the preseason.
"I think the accumulation of everything -- the concern about the hip, the concern of the rehab, the concern of the conditioning and stamina, the concern about the contract -- that’s a lot weighing on your mind," Vermeil said.
He added that he eventually began to see Holmes "generate the energy and the enthusiasm and the tempo with which he worked for two years," once Holmes began to see the Chiefs were sincere about their intention to sign him to an extension, and that made all the difference.
Holmes’ playing shape was thought by some to be a concern early on, but his performance against the Chargers last Sunday eliminated those worries.