FOXBOROUGH, Mass. - The New England Patriots announced the signing of unrestricted free agent wide receiver Anthony Gonzalez today. Terms of the agreement were not disclosed.
Gonzalez, 27, was drafted by the Indianapolis Colts in the first round of the 2007 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. In five seasons with the Colts, the 6-foot, 193-pound wide receiver started 12 of 40 games and has 99 career receptions for 1,307 yards and seven touchdowns. He started nine of those games as a rookie and averaged 15.6 yards per reception on 37 catches and scored three touchdowns. In 2008, he played in every game for the Colts, starting two, and recorded career highs with 57 receptions for 664 yards and four touchdowns. An injury in the season opener against the Jacksonville Jaguars sidelined him for the remainder of the 2009 season. He returned in 2010, but suffered another injury which forced him to the injured reserve list for the second straight season. He returned to appear in eight games for the Colts in 2011.
Gonzalez is a native of Cleveland, Ohio where he was a two-sport standout at Saint Ignatius High School in football and track. While playing at Ohio State, Gonzalez teamed with two other wide receivers who were drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft (Santonio Holmes and Ted Ginn, Jr.). He was an all-conference selection and an Academic All-American