New England Patriots
“The love they show, just how we’re all intertwined, and everybody has such a great relationship with everybody.”
SAN FRANCISCO — Christian Gonzalez tends to let his play do the talking on the field.
Instead of the braggadocious boasts and verbal barbs delivered by New England’s defensive line, the star cornerback is oftentimes a silent assassin while roaming the Patriots’ secondary.
Be it snuffing out explosive plays downfield or stapling himself to shifty wideouts, Gonzalez tends to keep the trash talk to a minimum, while rarely providing any bulletin-board material when fielding questions from the media.
But the 23-year-old corner has found an unique way to make a statement this season — usually by way of his Boston-centric pregame attire.
The rangy corner might hail from Texas, but Gonzalez has found a unique avenue to pay tribute to the city he now calls home — oftentimes donning custom-made t-shirts during warmups that highlight several Boston sports legends and artists.
Prior to New England’s primetime victory on the road against Buffalo in Week 5, Gonzalez took to the field at Highmark Stadium wearing a shirt featuring Celtics legend Bill Russell.
Another week, it was Bruins great Bobby Orr. Then David Ortiz. Larry Bird entered the rotation at one point.
Gonzalez even showcased disco legend and Boston native Donna Summer ahead of New England’s Monday Night Football bout with the Giants in Week 13.
They’re all custom designs crafted by Bruce Thompson and his apparel line, Dreamathon. Gonzalez first linked up with Thompson last year for a custom shirt in honor of the corner’s longtime friend, Keith Miller III, who passed away in 2024.
Since that collaboration, Thompson has provided Gonzalez with a multitude of t-shirts featuring a who’s who of Boston-centric legends.
“This year, we linked up in the off season, and was just thinking of things we could do,” Gonzalez told Boston.com. “And we decided to go with Boston legends, Boston sports legends, Boston artists. We wanted to pay homage and tribute to the great city of Boston. It was a lot of fun.”
For Gonzalez, honoring the Boston greats before him stands as a great way to both build ties with the greater New England community — and continue to celebrate a history of sports and culture that is woven through Boston.
It’s for that reason that Gonzalez opted to wear a Zdeno Chara sweater ahead of New England’s playoff opener against the Chargers — just days before the Bruins great had his No. 33 sweater raised to the TD Garden rafters.
It was a gesture that meant a lot to Chara, who — like most resident Bostonians — has been following along closely during New England’s run to Super Bowl LX.
“I was very, very pleased and happy to see that,” Chara told Boston.com of Gonzalez’s gesture. “And obviously I returned the favor when I came to their game. He’s just an amazing player. Obviously made a huge play last game [in the AFC title game] with the interception. He’s their best defensive player.”
Much like how Chara was at his best clearing Grade-A ice and shutting down offenses during his years on Causeway Street, Gonzalez has instituted a no-fly zone this postseason for New England.
Beyond his game-sealing pick in the AFC championship game, Gonzalez has been a monster in coverage for New England over the last month. According to Next Gen Stats, Gonzalez faced 28 targets this postseason, six more than any other defender, and allowed just 11 receptions.
That 39.3 percent completion percentage allowed is the lowest by any player to face 25+ targets in a postseason since at least 2018.
Despite their separate paths to stardom in Boston, Gonzalez and Chara’s jersey swap is just the latest in a long line of this city’s wide-ranging sports environment propping up one another.
Even though Harold Landry played his collegiate career at Boston College, the 2025 season marks his first full NFL campaign playing in New England.
That interconnected approach between all of the top sports is something that isn’t always the case in other markets.
“I think New England has the best fanbase,” Landry said. “Just the pro sports aspect of it all, like being able to go to a Celtics, Bruins, or Red Sox game is amazing. … It’s so dope. Because when I was playing in Tennessee, we ain’t really had that, to be honest.
“I’ll be telling people — my coolest experience as a sports fan was sitting courtside at a Celtics game. It was my son’s first NBA game, and it was when they beat the Magic to go into the next round [of the playoffs] this past year. And that was just the coolest experience. … The love they show, just how we’re all intertwined, and everybody has such a great relationship with everybody, it’s super dope.”
Chara — who captained the Bruins for 14 seasons — saw Boston win eight titles during that extended stretch, including at least one championship apiece for the Patriots (three), Red Sox (three), Celtics (one), and Bruins (one).
He’s hoping for yet another convoy of duck boats parading down Boylston Street next week.
“I think seeing that, and seeing how the sports here respect each other and players really understand each other, how they know how hard it is to win and to be involved with success — I really appreciate it,” Chara said of Gonzalez’s tribute. “I wish him all the best. I really hope they win the Super Bowl.”
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
