Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez burst onto the scene last season after being selected by New England with the 17th overall pick in the 2023 draft.
Through three games, the former Oregon Duck tallied 16 tackles, three pass deflections, an interception, and was named the NFL’s Defensive Rookie of the Month for September.
Entering Week Four, Gonzalez was hitting his stride well before a rookie is expected to and was primed for a matchup against Cowboys wide receiver CeeDee Lamb. He played well early, but then disaster struck in the first half when he landed awkwardly on his left shoulder while making a tackle on running back Tony Pollard.
Gonzalez dislocated his shoulder and tore his labrum, ending his first season before the calendar struck October.
Eight months later, the cornerback says he’s healthy and ready to take on his second NFL season:
“I’m good,” Gonzalez told reporters on Tuesday when asked how he’s doing. “Healthy. Excited to go. Focused on just getting better and coming in every day and just getting back to work.”
And on his shoulder?
“That’s in the past,” he explained. “Ready for right now and just– happy to be back in the building, be around the guys, and just have fun.”
Gonz0 pic.twitter.com/QBeD6NHvhx
— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) May 7, 2024
Alongside Gonzalez’s fresh start with a healthy shoulder, the defender is also making a jersey number switch heading into Year Two. Upon being drafted, Gonzalez was assigned No. 50 (like most recent first-round rookies were under Bill Belichick) before switching to No. 19 ahead of the preseason and then to No. 6 for the regular season. In 2024, he’ll don the No 0.
“Excited to wear that 0,” the soft-spoken defensive back said of the switch. “Gonna be real cool.”
“I got it in college, wasn’t really my first choice…” Gonzalez explained when asked if there’s a story behind his switch. “I honestly didn’t like it that much at first, but then we kind of started playing with it. Gonz0, zero, Oregon. I kind of all flew, and then I put it on and I really liked it, so I decided to get it back when I was able to.”
Aside from his length, speed, and skillset, Gonzalez’s confidence as a 21-year-old who has just three professional games under his belt is what stands out the most:
“I had confidence coming into the league. That’s what this [is]– especially this position, corner, a lot of it is mental. So just trusting my technique, going out there, trusting God, what I’ve been taught. It’s all confidence.”
Follow Mike on Twitter @mikekadlick for the latest up-to-date Patriots and Boston sports news!
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