One Patriots player invited to Pro Bowl, with second viewed as snub
Brenden Schooler will represent the New England Patriots at the 2025 Pro Bowl Games as a specialist. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez did not make the Pro Bowl roster despite an impressive 2024 season.
On Thursday morning the NFL announced the rosters for the 2025 Pro Bowl Games. The AFC roster includes one member of the Patriots.
Brenden Schooler will be a Pro Bowler for the first time in his three-year NFL career. Widely viewed as one of if not the best gunners in football, Schooler’s nine special teams tackles were tied for the most in the AFC this year. He was also PFF’s highest-graded AFC special teamer.
While this is Schooler’s first Pro Bowl nod, it’s not his first league-wide recognition. At the end of last season he was voted to the NFLPA All-Pro Team, which is a vote made up of active NFL players.
Schooler, 27, has been a fixture on the Patriots’ special teams units throughout his three years in New England after he was signed as a UDFA out of Texas in 2022. This year, he also started playing a gadget role on defense as a quarterback spy and blitzer on obvious passing downs in what the Patriots call the ‘Longhorn’ package. The Patriots signed Schooler to a three-year, $9 million contract extension earlier this season.
While Schooler got the nod, another seemingly deserving Patriots player did not. Cornerback Christian Gonzalez was not one of the four cornerbacks chosen from the AFC, despite being one of the best players at his position in football this year.
In what was his first full season after a shoulder injury limited him to four games as a rookie last year, Gonzalez spent most of the year shadowing opponents top receivers and going toe-to-toe with some of the best wideouts in the NFL. He allowed 46 catches on 84 targets, with seven pass breakups and two interceptions to just two touchdowns allowed. Opposing quarterbacks had a 70.5 passer rating when targeting Gonzalez.
Marlon Humphrey of the Ravens, Derek Stingley Jr. of the Texans, Pat Surtain II of the Broncos, and Denzel Ward of the Browns all got the nod over Gonzalez.
This will be the third year of the Pro Bowl Games, which replaced the traditional Pro Bowl. The events will be held on Jan. 30 and Feb. 2 in Orlando.
