New England Patriots have one Pro Bowler, special teams ace Brenden Schooler
FOXBORO – There haven't been many standouts for the New England Patriots this season as they are among the worst teams in the NFL. But one member of the Patriots is headed to the Pro Bowl, the NFL announced on Thursday.
Brenden Schooler named to Pro Bowl
Special teams ace Brenden Schooler was named New England's lone Pro Bowl selection.
Schooler, who was signed as an undrafted free agent in 2022, is in his third season with the Patriots. He has played in all 16 games for New England so far this season.
The special teams standout has nine tackles on the year. Schooler has also been utilized on defense occasionally this year, managing the first two sacks of his career.
The Patriots posted a video of Schooler finding out he made the Pro Bowl. Head coach Jerod Mayo tells him "You are the best at what you do."
Christian Gonzalez snubbed
There was one significant snub for the Patriots when the Pro Bowl rosters were announced. Standout cornerback Christian Gonzalez, who has been shutting down receivers throughout an otherwise disappointing season for the New England defense.
Derek Stingley of the Texans, Denver's Pat Surtain, Marlon Humphrey of the Ravens and Cleveland's Denzel Ward were the four cornerbacks named to the AFC Pro Bowl roster.
Gonzalez showed flashes of brilliance last year as a rookie. But his season was cut short by injury after four games.
This year, Gonzalez has been the best player on the Patriots defense, playing 16 games and notching two interceptions.
The 17th overall pick in the 2023 draft suffered a concussion last week against the Los Angeles Chargers. As a result, his status for the team's season finale against the Buffalo Bills remains up in the air.
Gonzalez appeared to respond to the Pro Bowl snub on X, formerly known as Twitter, sharing a laughing emoji shortly after the news was announced.
The Patriots enter the final week of the season with a record of 3-13.
With a loss to the Buffalo Bills, New England would seal the No. 1 overall pick in the upcoming NFL Draft.
