Drake Maye believes one Patriots player is worthy of an All-Pro nod

Forget about the Pro Bowl. Drake Maye believes Christian Gonzalez is an All-Pro corner.

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez would love to earn his first-ever Pro Bowl nod this season, but quarterback Drake Maye believes he deserves even higher recognition.

“Shoot, Pro Bowl? Should be All-Pro,” Maye said on Gonzalez, during a locker room moment ahead of the Week 15 matchup against the Arizona Cardinals, per Patriots.com’s Evan Lazar.

Gonzalez has looked phenomenal in one-on-one matchups against some of the best receivers in the league. He shut down Cardinals star rookie wideout Marvin Harrison Jr. by denying him on multiple touchdown attempts. In only his second NFL season, he is proving to be one of the top corners in the league.

It would be difficult to imagine a Pro Bowl without Gonzalez, but an All-Pro nod would be more fitting considering the incredible season he’s had for the Patriots.

His time will come at some point regardless as he continues to improve his craft and hit his peak at the next level.

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Jerod Mayo names the best player on Patriots’ defense

Jerod Mayo admitted Christian Gonzalez is the “best player” on the Patriots’ defense

New England Patriots coach Jerod Mayo called cornerback Christian Gonzalez the best player on the defense when speaking with media members this week.

Gonzalez has been one of the few bright spots for the team this season. He has 48 tackles and two interceptions in a year where he has established himself as one of the best corners in the NFL.

The Oregon product is regularly matched up with top receivers and continues to play at a high level. When facing Arizona Cardinals wideout Marvin Harrison Jr., Gonzalez held the star rookie to only one catch for 23 yards in a matchup where he denied multiple touchdown passes.

“He’s our best player on defense,” Mayo told media members earlier in the week. “…He’s just a guy that goes out there and competes on a down-after-down basis.”

Gonzalez is a cornerstone player on defense, like quarterback Drake Maye is on the offensive side of the ball. He’s a player the team needs to build around to improve their chances of getting back to perennial playoff contention.

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What Kyler Murray told Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez after game

Kyler Murray admitted he’s a “big fan” of Christian Gonzalez

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez received praise from Arizona Cardinals quarterback Kyler Murray following Sunday’s game.

Gonzalez has been one of the few bright spots on the Patriots’ roster this season. He made an impact in Sunday’s game limiting star rookie receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. in one-on-one matchups.

Gonzalez ran 25 routes with the wide receiver, who recorded only four targets the whole game. He allowed only one catch and 23 yards, along with securing two pass breakups on the day. The Patriots’ social media team shared a mic’d up video featuring Gonzalez.

There’s a clip near the end of the video of a brief conversation between Murray and the second-year corner.

“Big fan fella, big fan bro, big fan bro. Keep doing your thing,” Murray said.

It’s hard not to be a fan of Gonzalez, as he has been a beacon of consistency each week for the struggling Patriots’ defense. If anything, the Oregon product has made it abundantly clear that he is one of the best corners in the league.

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Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez makes feelings on Pro Bowl known

Even if it isn’t this season, Christian Gonzalez is confident he’ll be a Pro Bowler one day

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez would be honored to make the Pro Bowl this season, but if it doesn’t happen, he’s confident he’ll get voted in at some point.

He has 55 tackles and two interceptions in a season where he has had strong performances against a long line of elite receivers, including Tyreek Hill, Jaylen Waddle, Davante Adams, Garrett Wilson and Ja’Marr Chase.

The 2024 season has been a bounce-back one for the Oregon product, who suffered a season-ending injury last year. Now, he is healthy and making a big impact.

Gonzalez met with media members and discussed what earning a Pro Bowl nod would mean to him, as transcribed by the Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.

“I mean, if it ain’t this year, I’m gonna get it eventually. So I mean, whenever the time comes, I’ll be blessed and happy to be a part of it,” Gonzalez said, as transcribed by Boston Herald’s Andrew Callahan.

Gonzalez would certainly be worthy of a Pro Bowl nomination, especially if he continues to play at a high level.

He has quickly established himself as one of the most dominant corners in the NFL and appears to be a franchise cornerstone for a rebuilding Patriots team.

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Why did the Commanders release Emmanuel Forbes?

Why did the Commanders move on from Emmanuel Forbes? And what did Dan Quinn say to him?

It didn’t take long once the season started to see the Washington Commanders were done with second-year cornerback Emmanuel Forbes. Unlike most situations, this one was a little different, considering Forbes was a first-round pick just over a year ago.

Head coach Dan Quinn, defensive coordinator Joe Whitt Jr., secondary coach Tommy Donatell, defensive pass game coordinator Jason Simmons and assistant secondary coach William Gay all have a history of developing cornerbacks.

None could get through to Forbes. On Saturday, the Commanders released Forbes with five games remaining in his second NFL season. Over the last five games, a healthy Forbes played eight total defensive snaps and was a healthy scratch in three games. The move was coming, whether it was now or in the offseason.

After Sunday’s 42-19 win over the Tennessee Titans, Quinn explained why Washington left Forbes.

“Yeah, [CB] Marshon’s [Lattimore] close, we talked about that, I think it was Friday, for him being back in it,” Quinn saif. And so, when we made the decision to release him, really just the best opportunity for the team at this point.”

Quinn then said that he told Forbes a change of scenery could do him good.

“And I had a chance to visit with him, and I explained to him sometimes that the change of scenery is good, and I’ve seen other players go to other clubs, and it turns out differently, and sometimes that’s a good thing. And I said that that can happen with you too. And so, I wanted to make sure he heard that from me, and there was even guys on his own team here that had started somewhere else as a first-round player and all of a sudden, just a different scenery and different shift. The new system can help. And so, we wanted to wish him best on this football journey wherever that goes from here.”

You have to appreciate Quinn. Telling any player you are cutting him is difficult. However, to waive a second-year player who has struggled but has done everything you’ve asked him to do is even more challenging. Quinn wanted Forbes to hear it from him while encouraging him at his next stop.

The Forbes’ pick shuts the door on a disastrous run of Ron Rivera draft classes. All four of Rivera’s first-round picks have been traded or cut. And it’s not like the traded players are necessarily thriving elsewhere.

The primary knock on Forbes coming out of the draft was his slight frame and inability to tackle consistently. That showed up repeatedly, but to make matters worse for Forbes, he struggled in coverage. He was never the same after Eagles star A.J. Brown beat him for multiple touchdowns in Week 4 of his rookie season.

Rivera should never have selected Forbes over Christian Gonzalez. Secondly, Rivera’s disastrous coaching staff last season didn’t help Forbes; they ruined his confidence and benched him. Quinn and his staff had their work cut out trying to rebuild Forbes’ confidence while also trying to scheme around the concerns about his size.

WATCH: Christian Gonzalez gets interception while being face-masked

Christian Gonzalez is on another level

New England Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez continued his high-level of play this season with an acrobatic interception on Sunday against the Indianapolis Colts while being face-masked.

The interception was part of a productive day for the rising star defensive back, who allowed no catches and no yards in the game. He was only targeted once with the Colts mostly throwing away from him.

It was his second interception of the season. He made a tough read in a tight space and leveraged himself in front of the receiver to come down with the grab. The turnover showed off his athleticism, ball skills and overall toughness as a playmaker.

The Patriots ended up losing a tough game by a 25-24 margin. It has been a difficult season for New England, but Gonzalez has been a bright spot for the team as a major building block for the future of the defense.

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Usually silent Christian Gonzalez details impact of 2023 injury

Christian Gonzalez feels pride in being available for the team

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who remains one of the few bright spots in a struggling season, takes pride in being available for the team.

He missed most of his rookie season after going down with a shoulder injury. That injury has weighed heavily on Gonzalez considering it was the first time in his football career that he had missed such a significant amount of time away from the field.

“I take a lot of pride. I mean, not to go back, but I mean last year was the first time I ever got hurt,” Gonzalez told media members. “Not being able to be out there with the team last year hurt a lot mentally. From that point, I always wanna be on the field to help the team as much as I can.”

Gonzalez was battling a hip injury ahead of last week’s game against the Miami Dolphins, but he showed up to play and recovered a fumble for a 63-yard touchdown. He also tacked on three tackles and a pass deflection on the day.

It has been a strong bounce-back season for the second-year player, who has quickly turned into a defensive cornerstone for the Patriots.

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Sights and sounds of Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez’s touchdown return

Christian Gonzalez secures a scoop-and-score against the Dolphins

It took all the way until the fourth quarter before the New England Patriots were finally able to get things rolling against the Miami Dolphins on Sunday.

Their first touchdown came on a 38-yard strike from rookie quarterback Drake Maye, and the second was a scoop-and-score, courtesy of Patriots star cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

Dolphins running back Jaylen Wright fumbled the ball on a handoff, resulting in Gonzalez picking the ball up and running it back for a 63-yard touchdown.

Gonzalez has been known for his stellar coverage against some of the top receivers in the NFL this season. On this play, however, he showed off his quick instincts to make a play when the opportunity was in front of him.

The Patriots’ social media team dropped a “Sights and Sounds” video of the play on Tuesday.

It was a difficult day for the New England defense overall, as they fell behind early and were never able to recover. Even still, Gonzalez’s play was a bright spot for a team looking for silver linings.

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Is Christian Gonzalez playing today? Injury updates for Patriots CB

Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez is dealing with a hip injury. Here are the latest updates.

New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez was a late addition to the Week 12 injury report on Friday with a hip injury.

There have been concerns regarding his availability for Sunday’s game against the Miami Dolphins.

New England struggled on the backend of their defense against the Los Angeles Rams last week, and not having their best cornerback against a star-studded Dolphins offense is daunting.

Christian Gonzalez injury update

According to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport, Gonzalez is considered likely to play with a hip injury.

He went through his pregame warmups and reportedly flashed a thumbs-up, which could be an indication that he is good to go against the Dolphins. His availability would be a huge positive for the Patriots in this AFC East divisional matchup.

How long will Christian Gonzalez be out?

If Gonzalez misses Sunday’s game, one would have to think he’d be ready to go at home against the Indianapolis Colts next week. However, all indications seem to point toward him playing against the Dolphins.

Patriots CB depth chart

  • Christian Gonzalez
  • Jonathan Jones
  • Marcus Jones
  • Alex Austin
  • Marcellas Dial
  • Isaiah Bolden

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3 players with Patriots ties make Bill Belichick’s Midseason All-Star Team

The Patriots are well-represented on Bill Belichick’s Midseason All-Star Team

Former New England Patriots coach Bill Belichick named three of his former NFL draft picks to his Midseason All-Star Team.

Defensive end Keion White, cornerback Christian Gonzalez, and former Patriots kicker Chad Ryland, who is now with the Arizona Cardinals, were all named to the team.

White has recorded four sacks and 38 combined tackles on the season, while Gonzalez has established himself as one of the best corners in all of football. The former University of Oregon standout is having another solid year, tallying 40 combined tackles and an interception in nine games played.

Meanwhile, Ryland has made a major impact on the Cardinals. The 2023 fourth-round draft pick has made 10-of-11 field goals and all nine of his extra points. He was most recently named the Special Teams Player of the Month for October.

White and Gonzalez are becoming defensive cornerstones for the organization, and Ryland is finding tremendous success after a change of scenery.

It just goes to show Belichick’s imprint on the game is still very much alive, even when he’s away from coaching.

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