New England Patriots
Smith-Njigba led the NFL in receiving yards this season.
Christian Gonzalez will cover Jaxon Smith-Njigba in Super Bowl LX, according to Carlton Davis. (AP Photo/Garrett W. Ellwood)
February 6, 2026 | 5:02 PM
2 minutes to read
The Patriots will have their best cornerback matchup with Seahawks star wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba, at least if Carlton Davis is to be believed.
Davis told Go Long’s Tyler Dunne that Christian Gonzalez will shadow Smith-Njigba, who won Offensive Player of the Year for the 2025 season on Thursday.
“We’re going to have Gonzo follow him. Obviously, he’ll motion and I’ll probably see him a couple of times,” Davis told Dunne.
If that is the plan, Super Bowl LX might be the toughest assignment that Gonzalez has faced in his career. Smith-Njigba led the league in receiving (1,793 yards) to go with 10 touchdowns during the regular season. He also had 10 receptions for 152 yards and a touchdown in the Seahawks’ NFC Championship win over the Rams.
Gonzalez hasn’t had many tough assignments this season, but he has shown he can handle covering elite wide receivers in his three-year career. He only allowed Bengals star Tee Higgins to get two catches for four yards in a Patriots victory earlier this season, per Pro Football Focus. Pro Bowler Zay Flowers had three catches for 38 yards when covered by Gonzalez in the Patriots’ Week 16 over the Ravens.
Gonzalez has also had success against Tyreek Hill, who Davis faced in Super Bowl LV when he was with the Buccaneers. While the Buccaneers slowed down Hill and the Chiefs’ offense in that game, Davis seems to hold Kansas City’s offense in higher regard than the offense New England will play on Sunday.
“I don’t think this team was as explosive as the Chiefs team back in 2020,” Davis said. “That Chiefs team was one of the greatest offenses ever in the sport. So, I’m not going to compare the two. But the Seahawks do have a good offense.”
To Davis’s point, the Chiefs’ offense led the league in yards that year. But the Seahawks’ offense is also impressive, ranking third in scoring and eighth in yards this season. Quarterback Sam Darnold has seemingly proven he’s the real deal, with the Seahawks getting big contributions from running back Kenneth Walker, plus wide receivers Cooper Kupp and Rashid Shaheed.
But it’s clear that Smith-Njigba has the motor of the Seahawks’ offense. He accounted for roughly 45 percent of the Seahawks’ receiving yards this season, but Davis has faith that Gonzalez can slow down Smith-Njigba.
“He’s a real cool, calm, collected kind of guy,” Davis said. “He’s always been chill. He’s got a lot of poise.”
Gonzalez allowed 35 receptions on 76 targets (46.1 completion percentage) for 357 yards and a touchdown in the regular season, per PFF, helping him earn a Pro Bowl nod. In the postseason, Gonzalez has allowed 10 receptions on 25 targets for 125 yards and an interception.
With both Gonzalez and Smith-Njigba playing at a high level, ESPN NFL expert Ben Solak wrote that the matchup between the two is the most important one-on-one battle in Super Bowl LX. Gonzalez might not be sure if that’s the case, but he certainly has nothing but respect for Smith-Njigba ahead of Super Bowl LX.
“He can do everything from every spot on the field,” Gonzalez told reporters at Super Bowl Opening Night. “He’s a smooth route-runner, can run every route, and he’s just an amazing player. I got the utmost respect for him, and I’m excited for Sunday.”
Get the latest Boston sports news
Receive updates on your favorite Boston teams, straight from our newsroom to your inbox.
