Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez Gives Major Update on Shoulder Injury

Will the New England Patriots' defensive back be good to go for the season?

Sep 10, 2023; Foxborough, Massachusetts, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez / Eric Canha-USA TODAY Sports

The most recent New England Patriots season had it's fair share of turbulence, but one of the year's most devastating moments came with the injury of standout rookie cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

After showing out for a Defensive Rookie of the Year-esque effort through his first four career games, his season was inevitably cut short after suffering from a shoulder injury, andthen undergoing surgery that sidelined him for the remainder of his campaign.

And while it was an ugly sight for Patriots fans to endure at the time, Gonzalez revealed some positive news on the injury during his Tuesday press conference. The New England corner noted that he's back to being healthy, excited, and "focused on getting better and coming in every day just getting back to work."

"That's in the past," Gonzalez said about the injury. "We're ready for right now, and just happy to be back and the building and be around the guys and have fun."

Christian Gonzalez: Excited to be back in the building with the shoulder injury in the past — although he continues to rehab and strengthen it. pic.twitter.com/KP6Ez2Qtc7

— Brian Hines (@iambrianhines) May 7, 2024

During his first four games in a Patriots uniform, Gonzalez posted one interception alongside 17 tackles, one sack, and three pass deflections. The 16th overall selection in 2023's NFL Draft stepped in to be a strong defender from the jump, tasked with a gauntlet of matchups at receiver, headlined by A.J. Brown, Tyreek Hill, Garrett Wilson, and CeeDee Lamb.

Gonzalez was one of a few Patriots defenders to suffer from major injuries across last season. Significant pieces of the defensive core like Matthew Judon and Marcus Jones were also marked out after the first quarter of the season with their own respective wounds, but also look to be healthy going into next season.

Now completely healthy entering his second year pro in the red and blue, we could be in for a massive season from the Oregon product within what should be a productive Patriots defense under Jerod Mayo. He holds the tools to develop into one of the best corners the NFL has to offer but needs to produce for a full season to gather that type of consideration around the league.

Expect to see some fireworks in 2024 from Christian Gonzalez.