The New England Patriots couldn't do enough to overcome a ferocious Seattle Seahawks squad en route to a Super Bowl defeat. But even in the loss, one player above all else shone brightly on the biggest stage.
And it further magnified one of the most glaring errors of Ron Rivera's disastrous four-year stint as head coach.
When Rivera entered the draft war room in 2023, which would be his last at the helm, he had one prospect on his mind. There was no deviating from the Commanders, even when one of the blue-chip prospects fell into their lap. The head coach was going to take Emmanuel Forbes Jr., and nothing would get in his way.
New England saw this coming a mile away. Bill Belichick traded down, safe in the knowledge that he could still get his hands on Christian Gonzalez. He knew what Rivera was going to do, and the Patriots got a steal of epic proportions.
Commanders' regret around Christian Gonzalez is growing by the year
Forbes didn't even last two seasons in Washington before being cut. He's currently on the Los Angeles Rams, but the cornerback's lack of size continues to expose weaknesses. As for Gonzalez? He's firmly cemented as one of the league's most accomplished players in coverage.
Gonzalez was nothing short of sensational in the Super Bowl. He came up with some outstanding pass breakups, and nobody got consistent joy when going up against him. All Washington fans can do is look on with regret at what might have been.
Almost everyone thought Gonzalez was the better prospect coming out. One of the few who didn't was Rivera. And to the Commanders' detriment, he was the one making the selection.
The rest, as they say, is history.
This was a microcosm of Rivera's inept personnel evaluation at the top end of the draft. He gets the benefit of the doubt for Chase Young, who was a consensus pick despite the need to find a franchise quarterback. After that, linebacker Jamin Davis, wide receiver Jahan Dotson, and Forbes failed spectacularly in Washington. His second or third round picks weren't much better, with very few sticking around under Adam Peters.
The Commanders are on a sounder footing now, even though things weren't up to the required standard in 2025. Gonzalez could become a very rich man this offseason as he becomes extension eligible, although the Patriots may just trigger his fifth-year option and wait for a megabucks deal. Either way, there is just no telling how much better Washington's secondary would be if Rivera had done the right thing.
Thankfully, he is no longer Washington's problem. But that doesn't make Gonzalez's rise to elite-level status any easier.