Patriots Star Named Finalist for Major Award

A New England Patriots star has been named a finalist for a major award.
Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA;  New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Nov 17, 2024; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) warms up before a game against the Los Angeles Rams at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images / Eric Canha-Imagn Images
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The New England Patriots have one of the top rising young defensive stars in the NFL.

Christian Gonzalez has proven himself to be an elite cornerback. However, he has continually shown improvement.

During the 2024 season, Gonzalez was a superstar. He ended up getting snubbed for the Pro Bowl, but that snub drew criticism from a ton of fans. Gonzalez has started making himself a household name.

After missing all but four games of his rookie season due to a torn labrum, the young star made a very big statement this year.

Due to his big performance in his return from his season-ending injury as a rookie, Gonzalez has now been named a finalist for the Comeback Player of the Year award.

Throughout the course of the year, Gonzalez ended up playing in 16 games. He racked up 59 total tackles to go along with a fumble recovery, two interceptions, and 11 defended passes.

At just 22-years-old, the sky is the limit for Gonzalez in the future. He has plenty of room to continue growing and improving his game. That is a scary thought for opposing offenses.

Gonzalez is also heading into a new era of football with the Patriots. Mike Vrabel has taken over as the team's head coach, which should be a major positive for the young star cornerback.

Vrabel is a genius on the defensive side of the football. He was a former star linebacker and should bring a fresh approach to the New England defense.

It will be interesting to see what the 2025 season has in store for Gonzalez. Should he take the same kind of leap from year two to year three as he did from year one to year two, he could be a top-three cornerback in the NFL.

While it is unknown who will win this award, at least Gonzalez is receiving some recognition for the impressive season that he put together. He may not have been selected to the Pro Bowl, but winning the Comeback Player of the Year award would be a good reward.

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Evan Massey
EVAN MASSEY

Evan Massey is a sports reporter and analyst who covers college football, the NFL and NBA. He has contributed to the On SI network since July 2021. He has also written for ESPN, Yahoo! Sports, Forbes, Bleacher Report, NFLAnalysis.net, NBAAnalysis.net and many other publications. In his free time, Evan enjoys spending time with his wife and son.