Over the last few years in New England, the Patriots have not been considered a team with many superstars on the roster. Some of that is due to the continued departures of some of the most legendary players of the dynasty years, while the rest is due to the underwhelming drafts and free agent signings under Bill Belichick.
That mostly remains true going into the 2025 season, with a few exceptions, the most prominent of whom is cornerback Christian Gonzalez, the Patriots' first-round draft pick in 2023.
Although expectations are high for a player taken that early in the draft, Gonzalez has gone above and beyond what anyone anticipated and has quickly become one of the best cornerbacks in the entire NFL in just two seasons, with most of his rookie year spent at home due to injury.
He demonstrated just how good he was during the 2024 season, despite most of his teammates not performing up to par, and solidifying his name even further with his impressive performances against some of the top wide receiver talent in the league.
But apparently, that doesn't warrant him recognition in the way most have anticipated, with Pro Football Talk's latest list being the latest example.
Christian Gonzalez continues not to be recognized as one of the rising stars of the NFL
As one of the young rising stars in the NFL, the appreciation for Gonzalez was expected to go beyond the corners of New England. He has proven himself a force to be reckoned with, but not in the eyes of PFF, who did not include him on their list of the top 25 players under 25 years old going into this season.
Instead, five other cornerbacks made the list over Gonzalez. They're all talented, but it seems outlandish that a player who has shut down the likes of A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, and D.K. Metcalf wouldn't be one of the more obvious names to make a list of this nature.
Those PFF did choose are certainly warranted, and it's hard to limit the choices when there are so many young, impressive players coming up around the league. That's a fair argument to excuse why they might have skipped over Gonzalez, but it's hard not to believe it has something to do with the team he plays for playing a role.
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Talented players who were on the Patriots have long been disregarded on the national level over the last 25 years, with even Tom Brady not being adequately recognized for his production over the years, and even since he retired. So it's no surprise that someone like Gonzalez would be disrespected in this way, too, but it doesn't make it less frustrating for fans.
Because this isn't the first time Gonzalez has spoken out about not being recognized for his past performances, like the Pro Bowl, it will likely become another chip on his shoulder to fuel his performance this upcoming season in hopes of proving the doubters wrong. That will inevitably make him a better player and make the Patriots' defense even more dominating for opponents to deal with.