AJ Brown Gives High Praise to Patriots Cornerback Christian Gonzalez

Wide receiver AJ Brown recently joined the New England Patriots and has been getting to know his new teammates at training camp. One teammate has really caught his attention — cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Brown told host Kay Adams that going up against Gonzalez every day in practice has been some of the best work he has faced in years. He said Gonzalez is "very close" to being the best cornerback in the entire NFL.

Brown praised Gonzalez strongly during the interview. He called their matchups in practice "good work" and then upgraded that to "great work." He explained that Gonzalez gives him almost no room to make mistakes. "The margin for error is so small. It's so small, and he's making me better, and I'm getting him better as well. Every single day, we're going at it, and that's what you love," Brown said.

Brown also compared Gonzalez to other top corners he has faced. Last season, while playing for the Philadelphia Eagles, Brown went up against Quinyon Mitchell, another very skilled cornerback. Brown said he feels "really blessed" to face such talented defenders in practice because it prepares him for real games. "I know I'm in year eight, but these practices each and every day still gonna get me better," he added.

When Adams asked if Gonzalez was the single best corner in the league, Brown said it was very close but mentioned Denver Broncos cornerback Patrick Surtain as another top player. Brown described Gonzalez as calm, patient, and fast, with great skills for catching or batting away the ball. "He has the whole package, and it's very challenging," Brown said, adding that he and quarterback Drake Maye have to be perfectly in sync every time they run a play against Gonzalez.

Brown had a tough couple of seasons with the Eagles after a great 2022 campaign. Last season he caught 78 passes for 1,003 yards and seven touchdowns, which were his lowest numbers in three years. Disagreements within the Eagles organization led to the team trading him this offseason. He is now reunited with head coach Mike Vrabel and the Patriots, who finished second in the Super Bowl this past February.

Gonzalez, who stands 6 feet 1 inch tall, is going into his fourth NFL season. The Patriots picked him 17th overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. He had a great 2025 season and earned his first Pro Bowl selection, which is an honor given to the best players at each position. Meanwhile, Surtain has made the Pro Bowl four years in a row and won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2024.

For fans who follow the video game Madden NFL 27, the player ratings back up Brown's opinion. Gonzalez holds a 98 overall rating in the game, just one point ahead of Surtain's 97. Brown noted that he could end up facing Surtain too, since the Patriots are scheduled to play the Broncos on Jan. 3, 2027. First, though, the Patriots open their regular season on Wednesday, Sept. 9, in a Super Bowl rematch against the Seattle Seahawks.