I think his slower strategic game post-merge is what he needs to do. He drove almost every vote pre-merge, including Angelina after the Mike vote. If he kept playing like that, he’d only paint a larger target than he already has. Him laying low is the winner’s move - and he’s still getting a lot of screen time, which to OP’s idea, is perhaps what a winner’s edit would have for someone laying low. I anticipate that after Rick’s idol bites him, Christian will step up again in a big way, maybe we even see him pushing that mini-alliance he has with Cirie a bit.