Christian Gonzalez has gone up against his fair share of elite wide receivers since entering the NFL in 2023. On Super Bowl Sunday, however, the New England Patriots’ top cornerback might be facing his toughest
test yet.
The Seattle Seahawks’ Jaxson Smith-Njigba, after all, is on a heater. The 2023 first-round draft pick finished the regular season ranked first in the NFL with 1,793 receiving yards and in two playoff contests added 172 more to his tally. In total, he has cracked 100 receiving yards in 10 of 19 games so far and is entering the Super Bowl with an average of 103.2 receiving yards per game.
For Gonzalez, who has given up only 25 yards per game this year, the matchup with this “amazing receiver” is one he is looking forward to.
“Jaxon is really good. Elite,” Gonzalez said of Smith-Njigba before the Patriots’ trip to Santa Clara. “He’s a really good route runner. They line him up everywhere. He’s outside, in the slot and in the backfield. He’s just able to do everything. Smooth, makes it look like he’s not even running.”
Gonzalez and Smith-Njigba are entering the Super Bowl in similar situations. Two Texas kids, they were drafted in the first round the same year, missed the playoffs in each of their first two seasons, and are now set to play in their first championship game.
And while they did meet once along the way — last year’s regular season game between the Patriots and Seahawks at Gillette Stadium — they have not gone head-to-head on a consistent basis yet. On Sunday, that will likely change even with New England once again expected to play its fair share of zone coverage as well.
Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel, after all, has mentioned repeatedly that his team’s best players are counted on to perform under pressure. And matching up with a first-team All-Pro wide receiver with a Super Bowl on the line is just that.
“Just sudden, savvy, competitive, really good play strength for his stature,” Vrabel said about the 23-year-old, who, like him, played college football at Ohio State. “He’s not a 6-foot-3, 220-pound receiver, but he’s got great play strength. He’s a really good at contested catches. Good route craft, understanding of zone and man. Great body control.”
“They do a really good job of getting him the ball, and he’s a competitor,” said Gonzalez. “It’s going to be fun. It’s going to be fun to see him and his whole offense. They’re the other best team.”
