FOXBOROUGH, Mass. (AP) — If it seems like Christian Gonzalez is lingering on the field during pregame warmups on Super Bowl Sunday, that’s because he probably will be.
After a series of setbacks over his first three NFL seasons, the 23-year-old is well aware of how fast things can change in this league. So, getting to play on its biggest stage for the first time isn’t something he is taking lightly.
“Treat it like another game, but you know it’s not another game,” the Patriots cornerback said. “It’s the last one, so you just go out there and you just give it all you’ve got. Even while you’re playing, you still get to enjoy it. You get to run out there and see the field that says, ‘Super Bowl.’ Little things like that.”
Enjoyment has come in starts and stops for Gonzalez following a rookie season in 2023 in which he played in just four games before going on injured reserve with a torn labrum in his shoulder and then having season-ending surgery.
He returned in full force in 2024, appearing in 16 games while establishing himself as the team’s top cover cornerback, allowing receivers only 6 yards per target, and yielding completions 55.7% of the time the ball was thrown in his direction.
it seemed as if there was nowhere to go but up.
But all his progress looked to be in jeopardy after a hamstring injury in the first week of training camp eventually sidelined him for the first three games.
It’s proven just to be a hiccup for Gonzalez, who returned to play in the final 14 regular-season games. He was again trusted to cover opponents’ best receivers this season, finishing tied for second on the team with 10 pass breakups while being selected for his first Pro Bowl.
He’s done his best work in the fourth quarter during the playoffs, allowing just two receptions, 12 receiving yards and no touchdowns with an interception the eight times he’s been targeted. It sets up what could be a pivotal matchup in the Super Bowl with Seattle Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith Njigba.
Gonzalez’s lone interception came late in the AFC title game to help secure the Patriots’ victory.
“It felt like it was a good time to get the first pick. … getting the ball back to ( Drake Maye ) and letting him ice the game,” Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez’s performance in those big moments has been part of a year-long evolution Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said he’s observed Gonzalez undergo over the last month and a half.
“There’s just a presence, I feel like. Not that there was anything wrong,” Vrabel said. “I just felt when he blitzed, when he covered, when he — maybe it was just me — but I’ve got a pretty good seat for some of these games. And so, I just felt him start to continue to impact at a greater level. … So, there’s no secret that we’ll need him to play well, as well as the rest of our other good players.”
Gonzalez said he can’t pinpoint any specific change in his approach but does remember the conversation he had with his coach.
“After the Baltimore game, he told me he felt like he saw something different,” Gonzalez recalled. “But I’ve kind of just been preparing and doing what I’ve been doing. Just want to continue to make the plays that I need to make when my number’s called and do what I’ve got to do for this team to win.”
Gonzalez’s motivation also stems from having to trudge through the team’s back-to-back 4-13 seasons. But playing under his third coach in three seasons and everything is finally coming together.
“First two years we had to go through some things. But we’re excited where we’re at now,” he said. “This team is super close and we put a lot of work in. We just want to go out there and finish it.”
That said, he promises not to lose the childhood joy he had watching the Super Bowl as a kid.
It’s why his eyes will remain wide open for the entire experience once the team plane lands in California.
“I’ve been dreaming about it since I was a little kid and it’s here. The moment’s here,” Gonzalez said. “So go out there and enjoy it even during the game.”
