Christian Gonzalez gets rave review from future Hall of Famer Patriots fans respect

It has been clear to Patriots fans since his rookie season that cornerback Christian Gonzalez was going to become one of the best in the league at his position in no time. He was on his way to do that in his first season until a season-ending injury took him out in Week 4, but he got back the following year, as nothing happened, and is now considered a rising star in the NFL.

Although it took until Year 3 for him to be recognized by the league in a way plenty of other cornerbacks are every season, as he was finally voted into the Pro Bowl, it hasn't dissuaded his peers from thinking he's among the most talented corners in the NFL today.

He got that assurance from Broncos' superstar Patrick Surtain, who had nothing but great things to say about Gonzalez when the two met on a podcast recently.

Although we didn't necessarily need to hear that kind of recognition from Surtain, it says a lot about how Gonzalez is viewed across the league, despite detractors who want to pretend he isn't all that good.

Making it even better was Surtain doubling down on his assessment of Gonzalez during his appearance on Julian Edelman's podcast "Games With Names," putting any doubt to rest about how good the cornerback will be moving forward, especially as he's on the cusp of resetting the market with an expected record-breaking extension.

Christian Gonzalez gets the kind of recognition that only the best in the league get from his peers

When asked why really good cornerbacks are quiet players, rather than the old idea that the best ones trash-talk, Surtain name-dropped Gonzalez as one of the best on the field, noting how quiet and chill he is despite being as good as he is.

He also named Derek Stingley, another widely considered top player, in the same sentence, furthering the respect Gonzalez has earned from the best of the best.

It might be fair to argue that the new stereotype of cornerbacks began with Stephon Gilmore, since he was one of the quietest players to ascend to superstardom in recent memory, and Gonzalez is constantly compared to him.

Clearly, he's already made an impact on the league with his performance, and that alone has people talking. He's expected to continue his rise and officially become one of the top-5 cornerbacks in the NFL in no time, and it wouldn't be outlandish to suggest he might already be there.

Gonzalez should receive a massive payday any time now, too, and hopefully, the Patriots will reward him swiftly and correctly and not allow the situation to get out of hand. They need him on the defense to continue leading the secondary for years to come, especially since it only looks like he's going to get better and better each year.