New England Patriots
“A ton of respect for Mr. Kraft for what he’s done with this franchise. It’s just something we don’t want to handle in the media.
Christian Gonzalez. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
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FOXBOROUGH – Christian Gonzalez had just four words when asked about his plan for the Patriots’ upcoming padded training camp practices.
“I’ll be out there,” he said.
The Patriots are four days into training camp. So far, the practices have involved individual position drills, non-contact scrimmaging, and the mental work of learning new plays.
But, things are ramping up. The preseason opener is weeks away, and the Patriots will have to acclimate to the hitting and injury risks that come with practicing in full pads.
So are, apparently, the negotiations between Gonzalez’s team and the Patriots over a new contract for the fourth-year cornerback. Gonzalez’s cap hit for this upcoming season currently sits at $4.8 million. It’s the last guaranteed year on his rookie deal. New England has a team option for the 2027 season.
But the hope, Gonzalez said, is that both sides can agree to a new deal soon. Team owner Robert Kraft told reporters on the first day of training camp that the team has already offered Gonzalez a deal that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
What did Gonzalez make of those comments? The Pro Bowl cornerback said he wanted to keep the details of the negotiations private.
“Everybody knows what Mr. Kraft has done,” Gonzalez said. “A ton of respect for Mr. Kraft for what he’s done with this franchise. It’s just something we don’t want to handle in the media. Keep that with the team and my team.”
This past March, Trent McDuffie and the Rams set the record for the richest cornerback contract with a 4-year pact worth up to $124 million. According to ESPN, $100 million of that money is guaranteed.
Kraft said the Patriots are willing to top that number, which means there is significant risk for Gonzalez being out there on the practice field before the new deal is signed.
“That’s just who he is,” defensive tackle Milton Williams said when asked about Gonzalez’s presence. “He wants to be here. He’s showing up for us even though he’s got a situation going on. He’s letting everybody know that he wants to be here. I feel like that contract will handle itself.”
Gonzalez missed 13 games during his rookie season and the first three weeks of last season due to injuries.
The hamstring injury that sidelined him at the beginning of last season occurred in training camp. Still, even with that considered, Gonzalez said he isn’t worried about the risk of suiting up during this training camp.
“Not at all. No football player ever thinks, ‘I’m going to go out here and get hurt’,” Gonzalez said. “You don’t think like that. It’s football. It was a hammy. It was a year ago. Things happen. I’m out here now getting ready for the season.”
There has also been speculation that Gonzalez may be waiting to see how Devon Witherspoon’s negotiations play out with Seattle.
Witherspoon and Gonzalez play the same position, were in the same draft class, and they share the same agent.
Both players have made the all-pro second-team once. Witherspoon is a three-time Pro Bowler. Gonzalez earned his first Pro Bowl nod last season. Both played in Super Bowl LX in February. Witherspoon’s Seahawks beat Gonzalez’s Patriots. Both are considered among the top cornerbacks in the game. Both have a chance to reset the market with their deals.
“Spoon is my guy,” Gonzalez said, when asked if he feels like he’s competing with Witherspoon for the top cornerback contract. ” We work out all the time together. I respect Spoon, he’s an amazing player. But, I feel like it’s what I said. Keep that with my team.”
Losing to Witherspoon and the Seahawks in the Super Bowl is part of what motivated Gonzalez to participate in this training camp, the Patriots cornerback said. He wants to be out there with his teammates as they prepare for the season, which opens with a Wednesday night trip to Seattle in Week 1.
Last season’s ending was “tough,” he said, something that has been sitting on his mind.
“These are my guys. It’s hard to sit and just watch,” Gonzalez said. “I like to be out on the field. This is what I love to do. So, at the end of the day I’ve got to get better for myself and for the team so I have to do what I have to do and grind.”
Kraft said he “loves” Gonzalez and hopes that the Patriots will keep him for a long time.
“It’s good to hear those things, but we kind of hit on it last year. Can’t let the positive poison go to your head, so you come in, work every day and try to be the best person, best player that I can be.”
Khari A. Thompson
Khari Thompson covers professional sports for Boston.com. Before joining the team in 2022, Khari covered college football for The Clarion Ledger in Jackson, Miss.
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