The New England Patriots have endured a drama-filled offseason, to say the least, and they aren’t out of the woods just yet either. The front office is continuing to chip away at a long-term contract extension with superstar cornerback Christian Gonzalez, but to this point, no deal has materialized, and with Week 1 quickly approaching, time is running out for the two sides to find common ground.
The good news is that both the Patriots and Gonzalez appear intent on getting a deal done, but the specifics are difficult, especially with the former first-round pick angling to become the highest-paid cornerback in the league. Now that Devon Witherspoon has signed an extension with the Seattle Seahawks, the door is open for New England to give Gonzalez what he wants, but will that happen? One insider recently weighed in on the situation.
Will Christian Gonzalez Actually Become the NFL’s Highest-Paid Cornerback?
For much of the offseason, Gonzalez and Witherspoon, both of whom were selected in the 2023 NFL Draft, made it clear that they wanted to be the highest-paid cornerback in the league. Both guys certainly had an argument for why they deserved that title, and making matters even more complicated, they are both represented by the same agent.
Witherspoon blinked first and signed a four-year, $132 million contract extension with the Seahawks on Saturday, making him the highest-paid cornerback in the league for the time being. Of course, Gonzalez still needs to sign a new deal, so there’s a very good chance that he will break Witherspoon’s mark in the near future.
There’s no guarantee that will happen, though. While team owner Robert Kraft has publicly said New England had an offer on the table for Gonzalez that would make him the highest-paid player at his position at the start of training camp, that could have changed now that Witherspoon has put pen to paper on his extension. However, according to Ian Rapoport of NFL Network, the overarching expectation is that Gonzalez will eventually top Witherspoon’s deal.
“My expectation is that that will happen, that if they are able to get a deal, he will be the highest-paid (cornerback),” Rapoport said on “Good Morning Football.”
Patriots Running Out of Time to Extend Christian Gonzalez
GettyDENVER, COLORADO – JANUARY 25: Christian Gonzalez #0 of the New England Patriots celebrates after intercepting a pass from Jarrett Stidham #8 of the Denver Broncos (not pictured) intended for Marvin Mims Jr. #19 (not pictured) during the fourth quarter in the AFC Championship Playoff game at Empower Field At Mile High on January 25, 2026 in Denver, Colorado. (Photo by Matthew Stockman/Getty Images)
Throughout these contract negotiations, it has seemed like Gonzalez, not the Patriots, has been dragging his feet. Gonzalez obviously wanted to outlast Witherspoon and see what he got from the Seahawks, but there have also been rumblings that have suggested he could wait until next offseason to sign a new deal in an attempt to earn even more money for himself.
That’s obviously a huge risk, as Gonzalez could get hurt or simply struggle on the field, which is why it is more likely than not that he will cash in on a new deal while he knows he can. Topping Witherspoon’s deal is going to be tough for New England to do, but Gonzalez is clearly a player worth investing in. There isn’t a ton of momentum towards a deal, even in the wake of Witherspoon re-upping with Seattle, but this should still get across the finish line before Week 1.
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