Eight-time Pro Bowl CB explains 'love' for Christian Gonzalez's game
Legendary defensive back Patrick Peterson gave high praise to New England Patriots All-Pro cornerback Christian Gonzalez when appearing on 'The Next Pats Podcast' with Phil Perry.
'He's gonna be a very, very talented player. He's one of those guys that you could plug anywhere,' said Peterson. 'He could be a safety. He could be a nickel. He could be your rover. You could put him in the box. You could blitz him. So he's kinda like that Kyle Hamilton-type player, to where he can really be your blanket to your entire defense.
'It's gonna be interesting to see how Mike Vrabel will be able to use him. …I love to watch him play. I love his competitive nature, and I can't wait to see how his career gonna unfold.'
Peterson was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL for nearly a decade. He spent his career playing for the Arizona Cardinals, Minnesota Vikings and Pittsburgh Steelers. He recorded 602 tackles, 122 pass deflections and 36 interceptions over 13 seasons
The former LSU product carved out a solid career, earning eight Pro Bowl selections and three first-team All-Pro nods. He knows what it takes to play at a high level and stay there.
Gonzalez is finally starting to get the recognition he deserves as a star defensive player. After earning his first All-Pro nod, he was recently elevated as a 'superstar' player on the Madden NFL 25 video game.
The sky is the limit for Gonzalez, who is in a position to be a defensive cornerstone for the Patriots for years to come.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
33 minutes ago
- Newsweek
DJ Augustin Set to Join Rockets in Surprise Role
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. Former NBA star guard and lottery pick D.J. Augustin has taken on a new role with the Houston Rockets. More NBA news: Kevin Durant Trade Speculation Will Reportedly Get Aggressive in Coming Weeks The former Texas Longhorn and No. 9 pick in the 2008 NBA Draft is reportedly joining the Rockets in the front office. Kelly Iko of The Athletic shared the news via X. Former NBA guard D.J. Augustin is joining the Houston Rockets in a front office capacity, sources tell @TheAthletic. The 37-year-old, who played for Houston in 2021, spent 14 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2024. — Kelly Iko (@KellyIko) June 5, 2025 : D.J. Augustin #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Ricky Rubio #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum on February 23, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.... : D.J. Augustin #12 of the Milwaukee Bucks is defended by Ricky Rubio #9 of the Minnesota Timberwolves during the second half of a game at Fiserv Forum on February 23, 2021 in Milwaukee, Wisconsin. More Photo by"Former NBA guard D.J. Augustin is joining the Houston Rockets in a front office capacity, sources tell @TheAthletic. The 37-year-old, who played for Houston in 2021, spent 14 seasons in the NBA before retiring in 2024," wrote Iko. Augustin announced his retirement a little after the start of the 2024-25 season. It's unclear what his role with the Rockets will be, but he'll be providing some expertise, regardless of his position. The 37-year-old played 14 NBA seasons with the Charlotte Bobcats, Indiana Pacers, Toronto Raptors, Chicago Bulls, Detroit Pistons, Oklahoma City Thunder, Orlando Magic, Milwaukee Bucks, Houston Rockets, and the Los Angeles Lakers. A New Orleans native, Augustin was selected by the Charlotte Hornets with the ninth overall pick in the 2008 NBA Draft after a standout career at the University of Texas, where he earned First-Team All-Big 12 honors that same year. Charlotte viewed him as their point guard of the future, and he showed promise right away—dropping 12 points and dishing out two assists in 25 minutes during his NBA debut. He went on to average 11.8 points and 3.5 assists per game in his rookie campaign. Augustin averaged 9.5 points, 1.8 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game over 976 games played. The Rockets are coming off their best season since the 2019-20 season. Houston earned the No. 2 seed in the loaded Western Conference with a young group as its core. Led by Jalen Green, Alperen Sengun, Amen Thompson, and Fred VanVleet, the Rockets are sure to come back stronger than ever next season. Head coach Ime Udoka has built a culture in Houston that players and fans can hang their hat on. In Augustin's basketball career, he has earned an NBA All-Rookie Second Team, won the Bob Cousy Award, and been named Consensus First-Team All-American and First-Team All-Big 12. More NBA news: Suns to Hire Cavaliers Assistant as Franchise's Next Head Coach Former NBA All-Star Believes Thunder Resemble Prime Warriors Team Dan Hurley Makes Position Clear as Knicks Begin Coaching Search LeBron James' 'Mind the Game' Podcast Takes Massive Shot at Brian Windhorst Knicks Coaching Search Heats Up as Top Candidates Are Revealed For more on the Rockets and general NBA news, head on over to Newsweek Sports.
New York Times
34 minutes ago
- New York Times
Colts QB Anthony Richardson out indefinitely with injury to throwing shoulder
INDIANAPOLIS — Indianapolis Colts quarterback Anthony Richardson injured his throwing shoulder and will be out indefinitely, coach Shane Steichen said Thursday, creating a fresh concern for a player whose first two seasons in the NFL were plagued by health issues. The injury is to Richardson's AC joint, which he previously had season-ending surgery on in October of 2023, his rookie season. Richardson reported pain in his AC joint after an OTA practice last Thursday. He has not practiced since. Advertisement 'Doctors, trainers checked it out. He's got some aggravation in his AC joint,' Steichen said. 'So, we're gonna sit him out this week. Obviously, he'll sit out for minicamp. We'll see when he comes back. Not gonna put a timetable for training camp on it, but when he does come back, we'll ease him into throwing and then we'll go from there.' Thursday is the last day of voluntary OTAs. Veteran minicamp is scheduled for June 10-12. The report day for training camp is July 22, per Steichen. Per Shane Steichen – QB Anthony Richardson is dealing with a shoulder injury and will not participate in mini-camp next week. — Indianapolis Colts (@Colts) June 5, 2025 The injury is a result of throwing and the 'stress over time' of the motion on Richardson's AC joint, Steichen said. The coach added Richardson will not need surgery right now. Asked if the aggravation in Richardson's AC joint is a normal occurrence for someone who has had surgery on that area, Steichen said he wasn't a doctor and could not get into specifics. Steichen said the team has not considered signing another QB. The Colts added to their QB room this offseason by signing ex-New York Giants starter Daniel Jones in free agency and drafting former Notre Dame star Riley Leonard in the sixth round. Jones and Richardson are competing for the starting job. Richardson has yet to stay healthy for a sustained stretch in his NFL career. He has missed 17 games because of injuries in two seasons. Twelve of those absences were because of a severe AC joint sprain that required surgery, two were for back spasms, another two were due to an oblique injury and one was because of a concussion. He was also benched for two games last year due to what Steichen cited as a lack of game preparation. Colts GM Chris Ballard declared an open competition this offseason, in part because of Richardson's durability issues. 'We've got to have competition at the position,' Ballard said during his season-ending news conference in January. 'For one, for the fact that competition makes everybody better. And then two, he's not proven he can play 17 games.' Steichen said Jones will now take all of the first-team reps. The 2018 No. 6 pick has the upper hand in the QB competition as Richardson remains sidelined. Richardson, the No. 4 pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is the Colts' highest-drafted player since the team selected Andrew Luck No. 1 in 2012. The franchise hasn't had a mainstay at QB since Luck's surprising retirement before the 2019 season, and Richardson was supposed to be the franchise's long-term answer at the position. But beyond the injuries, Richardson's play has done little to convince the team he is the QB of the future. Advertisement Last year, Richardson threw eight TDs and 12 interceptions. His 47.7 completion percentage was the lowest mark in the NFL. He's 8-7 as a starter through two seasons. 'Obviously, it's frustrating, but he is in good spirits,' Steichen said of Richardson's latest injury. 'So, we're working through it right now.'
USA Today
39 minutes ago
- USA Today
Patriots rep admits it'll be hard keeping standout rookie UDFA off roster
Patriots rep admits it'll be hard keeping standout rookie UDFA off roster New England Patriots undrafted rookie Efton Chism III is making the sort of waves no one expected this early in the offseason work. Training camp hasn't even started, and it is already obvious that the former Eastern Washington standout is going to be hard to keep off the final roster. Boston Sports Journal's Greg Bedard believes it's time to start taking Chism seriously after watching him rack up receptions in competitive 11-on-11s during organized team activities (OTAs). There are currently 12 receivers on the Patriots' roster. Even if that number is cut in half after training camp, it's hard to see Chism failing to make the team. "I think I've used the phrase, 'It's going to be hard to keep [Chism] off the roster'. I actually heard that exact phrasing from somebody the other day after practice, somebody with the Patriots," Bedard said on the Greg Bedard Patriots Podcast. "Look, the guy gets open really well quickly, and he catches the ball. There was one stretch, I think it was four passes out of like six that he caught in the practice at the point where I looked over at [NBC Sports Boston's] Phil Perry, and I was like, 'Phil, are they going to throw to anybody else in this practice?'" Chism had seven receptions on seven targets at Monday's open OTAs practice. There are many similarities in his style of play to former Patriots greats, like Julian Edelman and Danny Amendola. He's scrappy in the slot with quick feet and a knack for peeling away from defenders, getting open and catching the ball. His ability to separate consistently stands out immediately in an offense that lacked true separators last season. It's only the month of June, and the Chism hype train is full steam ahead for mandatory minicamp and training camp. Follow Patriots Wire on Twitter and Facebook.
