In the midst of all that was bad during the 2024 season for the Patriots, their second-year cornerback out of Oregon was among the lone bright spots.
And on Friday, Christian Gonzalez received among the highest honors you can receive as a defensive player, being named to the 2024 NFL All-Pro Team, as voted on annually by the Associated Press.
After a season of shutting down some of the best receivers in the NFL, Gonzalez was named to the All-Pro second team along with Chiefs corner Trent McDuffie.
First team selections at corner were Patrick Surtain II from Denver and Derek Stingley Jr. from Houston.
The AP also honors the slot corner position on both the first and second teams, with first team honors going to Baltimore’s Marlon Humphrey and second team honors going to Los Angeles’ Derwin James.
Despite being recognized by the national media for his fantastic play this season, Gonzalez was a snub for the upcoming Pro Bowl in Orlando, FL. With Pro Bowl voting being conducted by the fans, it’s easy to see why a quiet corner on a 4-13 team wouldn’t garner enough attention to “win” a spot at the glorified skills competition. But with the Pro Bowl having been devalued in recent years, there is still a chance Gonzalez is chosen as an alternate for the event.
The only member of the Patriots organization to make the Pro Bowl this season was special teams ace Brenden Schooler, and the Texas-product will also have a 2024 All-Pro distinction to add to his trophy case.
Schooler was named to the AP’s first team on Friday - his first time receiving the league’s highest honor for a special teams player.
The 27-year-old has been an impact player since entering the league, being named to the PFWA’s All-Rookie Team as a special teamer in 2022.
As the losses mounted in 2024, Schooler was still making plays on special teams - a phase of the game the Patriots played a lot of during a season that lacked offensive production.
Two Patriots received All-Pro honors after the organization was snubbed entirely in 2023. The last New England player to receive an All-Pro distinction was in 2022, when punt returner Marcus Jones was selected to the first team.
Both Jones and long snapper Joe Cardona were the only other Patriots to receive votes for the 2024 All-Pro team. Jones received two first-team votes and six second-team votes, while Cardona received three first-team votes and two second-team votes.
Here’s a full list of the 2024 NFL All-Pro Team:
First Team
Offense:
Quarterback - Lamar Jackson, Baltimore
Running Back - Saquon Barkley, Philadelphia
Fullback - Patrick Ricard, Baltimore
Tight End - Brock Bowers, Las Vegas
Wide Receivers - Ja’Marr Chase, Cincinnati; Justin Jefferson, Minnesota; Amon-Ra St. Brown, Detroit
Left Tackle - Tristan Wirfs, Tampa Bay
Left Guard - Joe Thuney, Kansas City
Center - Creed Humphrey, Kansas City
Right Guard - Quinn Meinerz, Denver
Right Tackle - Penei Sewell, Detroit
Defense:
Edge Rushers - Myles Garrett, Cleveland; Trey Hendrickson, Cincinnati
Interior Linemen - Cameron Heyward, Pittsburgh; Chris Jones, Kansas City
Linebackers - Zack Baun, Philadelphia; Fred Warner, San Francisco; Roquan Smith, Baltimore
Cornerbacks - Patrick Surtain II, Denver; Derek Stingley Jr., Houston
Slot cornerback - Marlon Humphrey, Baltimore
Safeties - Kerby Joseph, Detroit; Xavier McKinney, Green Bay
Special Teams:
Placekicker - Chris Boswell, Pittsburgh
Punter - Jack Fox, Detroit
Kick Returner - KaVontae Turpin, Dallas
Punt Returner - Marvin Mims Jr., Denver
Special Teamer - Brenden Schooler, New England
Long Snapper - Andrew DePaola, Minnesota
Second Team
Offense:
Quarterback - Josh Allen, Buffalo
Running Back - Derrick Henry, Baltimore
Fullback - Kyle Juszczyk, San Francisco
Tight End - George Kittle, San Francisco
Wide Receivers - Terry McLaurin, Washington; CeeDee Lamb, Dallas; A.J. Brown, Philadelphia
Left Tackle - Jordan Mailata, Philadelphia
Left Guard - Quenton Nelson, Indianapolis
Center - Frank Ragnow, Detroit
Right Guard - Chris Lindstrom, Atlanta
Right Tackle - Lane Johnson, Philadelphia
Defense:
Edge Rushers - T.J. Watt, Pittsburgh; Nik Bonitto, Denver, Andrew Van Ginkel, Minnesota
Interior Linemen - Zach Allen, Denver; Jalen Carter, Philadelphia
Linebackers - Frankie Luvu, Washington; Bobby Wagner, Washington; Zaire Franklin, Indianapolis
Cornerbacks - Trent McDuffie, Kansas City; Christian Gonzalez, New England
Slot cornerback - Derwin James, Los Angeles Chargers
Safeties - Kyle Hamilton, Baltimore; Budda Baker, Arizona
Special Teams:
Placekicker - Brandon Aubrey, Dallas
Punter - Logan Cooke, Jacksonville
Kick Returner - Austin Ekeler, Washington
Punt Returner - Kalif Raymond, Detroit
Special Teamer - J.T. Gray, New Orleans
Long Snapper - Ross Matiscik, Jacksonville