"It feels like forever ago now, but Gonzalez missed over 50 days of team practices and the first three games of the regular season due to a hamstring injury that became a source of rampant speculation. It's not uncommon, of course, for athletes to miss multiple weeks with a soft-tissue injury. Two months? That felt a little overcautious at the time, especially with the Patriots' defense looking shaky out of the gates during the team's 1-2 start to the season."
"All told, the Patriots went 16-2 in Gonzalez's 18 starts this season, with the only losses coming at home to Buffalo in Week 15 and in Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks. The 23-year-old might've been New England's best player throughout the playoffs, too, following his game-sealing interception in the AFC Championship Game in Denver with a dominant performance against Jaxon Smith-Njigba and the Seahawks."
Mike Vrabel's first Patriots team finished 17-4 in 2025 after two difficult seasons, with Christian Gonzalez's presence marking a dramatic turnaround. Gonzalez missed over 50 days of practice and the first three regular-season games with a hamstring issue, then was cleared in Week 4 and triggered a run that included a 42-13 win, an upset at Buffalo and a 10-game winning streak. New England went 16-2 in Gonzalez's 18 starts, dropping only to Buffalo in Week 15 and to the Seattle Seahawks in Super Bowl LX. Gonzalez recorded a game-sealing AFC Championship interception and dominant playoff play, and now approaches rookie-extension eligibility after three years of service.
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