Super Bowl LX Showdown: Christian Gonzalez vs. Jaxon Smith-Njigba Is the Matchup to Watch
When Super Bowl LX kicks off next Sunday, all eyes won’t just be on the quarterbacks or the coaches. One of the most compelling battles will be happening just outside the hashes - Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez lining up across from Seahawks star wideout Jaxon Smith-Njigba. It’s a matchup years in the making, and now, on the sport’s biggest stage, we’re finally getting it.
These two have been circling each other since their high school days in the Dallas area, playing just 40 miles apart but never sharing a field. That changes now - and the stakes couldn’t be higher.
Gonzalez: The Quiet Lockdown Corner
Christian Gonzalez has been nothing short of elite this season. A Pro Bowl selection and second-team All-Pro in 2024, the 23-year-old has anchored New England’s secondary with a calm, calculated dominance.
In 17 games including the playoffs, Gonzalez allowed just 4.8 yards per target - the lowest mark in the league. In the postseason alone, he’s given up only 10 catches on 25 targets for 125 yards.
No touchdowns. One interception.
Three pass breakups. That’s lockdown corner work.
Over the full season, Gonzalez allowed 45 catches on 101 targets for 482 yards and just a single touchdown. Opposing quarterbacks posted a passer rating of 58.3 when targeting him - fourth-best among corners.
His 47.2% catch rate allowed ranked second in the league. Simply put, he’s been a nightmare for receivers and a dream for defensive coordinators.
And his head coach, Mike Vrabel, has noticed something shift.
“There’s just a presence,” Vrabel said. “You feel him out there - blitzing, covering, making plays.
He’s impacting the game in a big way. That’s no secret.
We’ll need him at his best.”
Smith-Njigba: The Route-Running Technician
On the other side, Jaxon Smith-Njigba has exploded into one of the NFL’s premier receivers. After a solid rookie campaign, he took a massive leap in 2025, leading the league with 1,793 receiving yards on 119 catches and 10 touchdowns.
He earned first-team All-Pro and Pro Bowl honors - and he’s not done yet. With 35 more yards in the Super Bowl, he’ll hit the 2,000-yard mark across 20 games.
His game is built on precision. Smith-Njigba doesn’t wow with size or straight-line speed - he measures in at 6’0”, 196 pounds - but his route running is surgical.
He’s savvy, sudden, and has a knack for finding space and making tough catches. As Vrabel put it, “He’s not 6’3”, 220, but he plays strong.
Great body control. Great feel for zone and man.
He’s a complete receiver.”
Gonzalez agrees.
“He’s smooth. Great route runner.
Can run all the routes,” the cornerback said. “He’s a competitor.
He loves the game. So I’ve just got to be myself and make the plays when my number’s called.”
A Matchup That’s Finally Happening
The two nearly crossed paths last season when the Patriots and Seahawks met, but they didn’t spend much time matched up. Smith-Njigba mostly played in the slot back then - 83.6% of his snaps - and Gonzalez spent that game matched up with D.K.
Metcalf, now with the Steelers. Smith-Njigba caught 12 passes for 117 yards, but none came against Gonzalez.
This year, things are different. With the addition of Cooper Kupp, Smith-Njigba has shifted outside more often - lining up in the slot on just 23.2% of passing snaps. That means Gonzalez will be seeing a lot more of his fellow Texan this time around.
It’s a fascinating stylistic matchup. Gonzalez is long, fluid, and disciplined - a 6’1”, 205-pound corner who moves like a smaller man.
Smith-Njigba brings elite footwork, body control, and toughness at the catch point. Both are technicians.
Both are competitors. And both are playing the best football of their young careers.
Revisiting the 2023 NFL Draft
This Super Bowl duel also reopens the conversation around the 2023 NFL Draft, where both players were seen as steals. Gonzalez, once projected as a top-10 pick, slid to No. 17 where the Patriots scooped him up.
Smith-Njigba went three picks later to Seattle at No. 20.
The Patriots had originally held the 14th pick but traded down with the Steelers. Pittsburgh took Broderick Jones.
The Jets followed with Will McDonald IV. Then Washington grabbed Emmanuel Forbes - who’s no longer on the roster.
New England wasted no time grabbing Gonzalez at 17.
Critics at the time questioned Gonzalez’s physicality and whether his quieter demeanor would translate to the NFL. Those questions feel pretty outdated now. He missed just one tackle all season and ranked 15th among corners in defensive stops.
Smith-Njigba had his own doubters. A hamstring injury limited him to just three games in his final year at Ohio State, and some saw him as a slot-only receiver lacking top-end speed.
That narrative didn’t last long. He’s proven he can win inside and out, against man or zone, and against top corners.
Respect Between Rivals
Despite the stakes, there’s clear mutual respect between these two rising stars. They first met during the pre-draft process, and both came away impressed.
“Watching his film - incredible player,” Smith-Njigba said of Gonzalez. “He deserved getting drafted where he did. Elite player, for sure.”
The feeling is mutual. Gonzalez remembers Smith-Njigba lighting it up at Rockwall High School.
“Dallas is a big city, but it’s pretty small when it comes to football,” Gonzalez said. “Most everybody knows everybody.”
Sunday’s Spotlight
This isn’t just a good matchup - it’s potentially the matchup of Super Bowl LX. Two young stars, both playing at an All-Pro level, both with something to prove on the biggest stage.
Gonzalez has the chance to shut down the league’s most productive receiver. Smith-Njigba has the chance to test one of the NFL’s stingiest cover men.
It’s strength vs. strength. Precision vs. poise. And it might just decide who walks away with the Lombardi Trophy.