One of the biggest goals for the New England Patriots this offseason has been to find a way to extend the contract of star cornerback Christian Gonzalez. That hasn’t happened yet, though.
The Patriots did pick up Gonzalez’s fifth-year option, which will keep him in New England for another two seasons. However, both sides want a longer guarantee than what is being offered to them. So, getting that extension done sooner than later is going to be important.
Still, there is a problem. That’s finding the fair value for Gonzalez, who expects to reset the cornerback market when he does sign.
Albert Breer on the Market for New England Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez
GettyNew England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
An interesting aspect of the Christian Gonzalez negotiations is that he’s not the only corner looking for a massive extension. Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks is too, which undoubtedly is factoring into the Gonzalez negotiations. After all, they even share the same agent.
Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated recently pointed out this connection.
“There’s a similar situation brewing at corner, and Reggie Johnson is a pivotal name that you might not know,” Breer wrote. “He is the agent to both the Seahawks’ Devon Witherspoon and the Patriots’ Christian Gonzalez, giving each of those guys a bit of a leg up in their negotiations with their teams—if you consider information to be power (and it is).”
Breer added to that, explaining how the cornerback market is dictating the price as well. No doubt, both players are due major paydays. No doubt they’ll both also want to build on one another based on having the same agent.
“There’s also a similarity at corner to running back in that an uptick in the market is due. As the prices of edge rushers and receivers have exploded over the past two years, corner and offensive tackle (we’ll likely see Joe Alt test this in a year) have lagged a bit. The numbers hovered around $25 million per year (Patrick Surtain II, Jaycee Horn), then jumped to $30 million per (Derek Stingley Jr., Sauce Gardner) last year, with Trent McDuffie getting just past that, at $31 million per, after the Rams traded for him in March,” Breer wrote.
“It’s fair to expect that Gonzalez and Witherspoon have no reason to accept $31.1 million per year in light of all that. The question then becomes how big a jump is coming? And the dynamics at play point to Witherspoon going first, after the two faced off in the Super Bowl… And if Witherspoon gets a deal done, then the floor is set for Gonzalez coming off a fantastic year in Mike Vrabel’s first season back in New England.”
Warnings About the Christian Gonzalez Contract
GettyNew England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez
The Patriots are getting ready to come back for Training Camp. However, as it stands now, Christian Gonzalez doesn’t have that contract extension and according to insider Greg Bedard, there may be some uncomfortable conversations coming now.
There, Bedard was critical of Gonzalez for what he sees as a lack of mental toughness.
“I don’t know how many questions the team has today about him today, but he hasn’t gotten his contract. And that’s he’s a little sensitive about somebody being critical of him? A little bit? I would say maybe it’s not a great sign,” Bedard said.
Bedard would also add that there’s a knock on Gonzalez for his mental toughness. The implication is that knock could be part of their contractual debate.
As it stands now, Gonzalez is set to make about $4.8 million in 2026. That makes him one of the best value corners in the NFL. Even in 2027, when his fifth-year option is set to $18.1 million, he’s underpaid.
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