Christian Gonzalez's rookie season for the New England Patriots was devastatingly cut short due to a torn labrum suffered during their Week 4 matchup. Gonzalez started in his first four games in the NFL and the former Oregon Duck had quickly gained respect during his first year in the NFL>
Gonzalez missed the rest of the year while he recovered from the injury and made his return to the field when New England kicked off its 2024 campaign. Despite the Patriots' struggles throughout the year, Gonzalez excelled in the defensive secondary and became a menace of a pass defender.
Now, after his second year in the league and his first full season, the former Duck has been named as a finalist for the AP Comeback Player of the Year award. Throughout the season, Gonzalez started in all 16 of New England's matchups and returned with a vengeance for the Patriots.
Christian Gonzalez 2024 NFL stats
- 59 total tackles (50 solo, 9 assisted)
- 11 pass deflections
- 1 fumble recovery for 63 yards
- 2 interceptions for 2 yards
- 1 stuff for 1 yard (tackle for loss)
Came back & locked down 😈 pic.twitter.com/wzUYnEwAWX
— New England Patriots (@Patriots) January 23, 2025
Gonzalez isn't the only former Duck racking up preseason honors. Former Oregon quarterback Bo Nix was also listed as a finalist for the AP NFL Honors as one of the five first-year players to be named as finalists for the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.
Former Oregon running back Bucky Irving also received notable praise after his first year in the league. The Duck turned into a star RB for the Tampa Bay Buccaneers and was named to the PFF All-Rookie team alongside the Pro Football Writers of America (PFWA) All-Rookie roster.
The awards show for the NFL Honors will hosted by none other than Snoop Dogg. It will take place on Thursday, Feb. 6, and will be broadcast on the NFL Network.