New England Patriots
“We’re going to continue working with his representation to try to get something done.”
Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots have yet to come to a contract extension agreement after months of negotiations. AP Photo/Charles Krupa
Two-thirds of the way through the preseason, star New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez remains without a contract extension.
Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf offered an update on where things stand between the player and the franchise.
“Each side is trying to do what’s best for them,” Wolf said during halftime of Saturday’s game against the Philadelphia Eagles on WBZ. “Obviously, Christian’s a tremendous player that you know we’ve been on record multiple times saying we want him to be here, and that hasn’t changed.
“So we’re going to continue working with his representation to try to get something done.”
Wolf’s comments come a few days after ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported the two sides aren’t “overly close” to an agreement. Schefter said the Patriots “would like to get him a new deal.”
Seattle Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon, who was drafted No. 5 overall in the 2023 NFL Draft where Gonzalez was selected 17th, recently received a hefty payday himself. The details surely further set Gonzalez’s market.
Witherspoon inked a four-year, $132 million contract last week, good for the most expensive deal for a CB in NFL history ($33 million average annual value). The agreement also includes $101 million in guaranteed money.
Gonzalez is arguably superior to Witherspoon at the position; Gonzalez deserves a contract which represents that, and he and the Patriots seem to recognize that as negotiations continue.
Gonzalez is still on his rookie contract, which is due to pay him $4.8 million in 2026. The contract lasts through the 2027 season.
Despite Gonzalez’s wishes for an extension, he participated in training camp practices up until he sustained an injury after taking a hard fall on Aug. 10. He did not participate in OTAs earlier in the offseason, however, and didn’t play in the first two preseason contests.
Owner Robert Kraft made headlines last month when he said the organization offered Gonzalez a contract which would have made him the highest-paid CB in NFL history, and the highest-paid player in Patriots history.
Gonzalez has yet to speak about his hopes for a contract publicly other than responding to a question about Kraft’s comments.
“Everybody knows what Mr. Kraft has done,” Gonzalez said on July 28. “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.”
Though Gonzalez declined to hold out during training camp before getting hurt, it’s valid to wonder whether he might do so come Week 1 of the regular season if no deal is reached by then.
Kaley Brown
Kaley Brown is a sports producer for Boston.com, where she covers the Bruins, Celtics, Patriots, and Red Sox.
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