Patriots Country

Patriots Star Tied for Highest-Rated CB in Madden 26

Ahead of the AFC championship, this New England Patriots star cemented himself as a top-rated player.
Jordon Lawrenz|
Nov 13, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images
Nov 13, 2025; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez (0) warms up before the game against the New York Jets at Gillette Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Eric Canha-Imagn Images | Eric Canha-Imagn Images

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New England Patriots

No one can argue what Christian Gonzalez has done for the New England Patriots this season.

The 23-year-old has continued to come into his own as he enters his third season in the league.

While he only played four games in his rookie season due to a torn labrum, he returned with a vengeance.

Gonzalez' numbers in 2024 were impressive, but what he's done this season is second to none. Now, the former No. 17 overall pick sees his name neck-and-neck with Denver Broncos star Patrick Surtain II.

Gonzalez Ties Surtain's 97 Overall Madden Rating

Madden 26 continues to update the rankings each week as the playoffs progress. Knowing it's the Patriots vs. Broncos to decide who moves onto the Super Bowl, look no further than these two cornerbacks.

While you'll never see them on the field at the same time, Gonzalez vs. the Broncos wide receivers and Surtain vs. the Patriots wide receivers will be two key matchups to watch that could decide the entire game.

Gonzalez holds a slight advantage as he's able to match up against backup quarterback Jarrett Stidham. Knowing the 29-year-old hasn't taken a snap all year, one can only imagine what will be going through his mind knowing Gonzalez is standing on the other side of the field.

Madden bumped Gonzalez up to a 97 rating, one tick higher than he was in the last update. Their social media team praised his 86 press rating, which increased by a full two points, and his 77 pursuit, which went up one as well.

The Christian Gonzalez Show

Come January 25, arguably the two best cornerbacks in the NFL will take the field as each team looks to punch their ticket to the Super Bowl.

Gonzalez is coming off a game where he made quite an impact. The third-year player recorded nine total tackles, tying his career high from November 9 in Tampa Bay.

Six of those nine tackles were of the solo variety, which tied a career high he's set four times before. ESPN also credits him with 0.5 stuffs, which is noteworthy as he only had one all season long.

If that wasn't enough, the Oregon product forced a fumble and deflected one pass. To put these numbers into perspective, the only statistic he recorded in the AFC wild card against the Los Angeles Chargers was a pair of pass deflections.

Gonzalez has been on an absolute tear recently, and his 97 Madden rating certainly reflects that.

Make sure you bookmark New England Patriots on SI for the latest news, exclusive interviews, film breakdowns, and so much more!

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Jordon Lawrenz
JORDON LAWRENZ

Jordon Lawrenz is a writer for On SI, part of the Sports Illustrated Network. Jordon is an accomplished writer for NFL, MLB, and college football/basketball. He contributes to PFSN’s and Heavy’s NFL coverage. Having graduated from the University of Wisconsin - Green Bay with a Sports Communication and Journalism degree, Jordon fully embraced the sports writing lifestyle upon his relocation to Florida.

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