Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez is receiving more recognition for his outstanding second season by being nominated as a finalist for AP Comeback Player of the Year for the 2024 season.
After starting his first four games, Gonzalez's rookie season was cut short by a torn labrum in New England's loss to the Cowboys in Week 4 of the 2023 season. The former first-round pick missed the remainder of his rookie year but bounced back from the season-ending injury by being named to the AP's All-Pro second team in 2024. Now, Gonzalez will be among the finalists for Comeback Player of the Year, which will be revealed at the 14th annual NFL Honors on Thursday, Feb. 6, held in Las Vegas before Super Bowl LIX. The last six winners were quarterbacks Joe Flacco, Geno Smith, Joe Burrow, Alex Smith, Ryan Tannehill, and Andrew Luck.
As the No. 1 cornerback in the Patriots defense, Gonzalez was a lockdown man-coverage corner for a defense that played man-to-man at the second-highest rate in the NFL this past season (45.3%). Despite being tasked with covering top receivers on an island every week, Gonzo ranked seventh in passer rating (70.5) and 10th in completion rate (54.8%) into his coverage among 77 qualified corners. Gonzalez also had two interceptions, seven pass breakups, and returned a fumble for a touchdown in his second-team All-Pro campaign.
From an individual matchup perspective, the Patriots cornerback covered the best wide receiver on the opposing offense on a weekly basis. Gonzalez shadowed Ja'Marr Chase, Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, Marvin Harrison Jr., and Davante Adams, among others. In a Week 1 win, he held Chase to three catches for 15 yards while bookending his terrific second season by shutting down Harrison Jr. in Week 15 (one catch, 23 yards).
During that matchup vs. the talented Cardinals rookie, Gonzo lined up across from Harrison Jr. on 21 routes, holding the first-rounder to one catch for 23 yards on five targets with two pass breakups. Gonzalez's sticky man coverage skills were on full display in Arizona. He has terrific length, smooth hip transitions, and gliding long speed to cover the entire route tree. According to NextGen Stats, Gonzalez forces a tight-window percentage on 73.3% of his deep targets in his career, the second-best mark among cornerbacks over the last two seasons. Plus, the Pats CB was the only corner to not allow a touchdown on a deep target this season (min. 10 targets).
With the Patriots transitioning into a new era under head coach Mike Vrabel, Gonzalez is a cornerstone player that New England can build around on defense. Like rookie QB Drake Maye is to the offense, Gonzo is the type of blue-chip talent that the Patriots need defensively to return to their winning ways. He's also a testament to how drafting well, in this instance, 17th overall in 2023, can benefit the team moving forward.
As the AP All-Pro and Comeback Player of the Year nomination suggests, Gonzalez is already one of the NFL's best cornerbacks as he heads into his third season with the Patriots.
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