New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is eligible to sign a contract extension, but talks seem to have stalled out.
As soon as the season ended, Gonzalez's contract became a point of focus for the Patriots. He has established himself as one of the best corners in the NFL, and the team would be wise to pay him now and keep him from hitting the open market after next season, or the 2027 season if his fifth-year option is picked up.
After the Patriots lost the Super Bowl, Gonzalez made it clear he wanted to stay with the team and wanted to sign an extension.
“Oh, yeah, no doubt,” Gonzalez said in February, per MassLive’s Mark Daniels. “This is where I got drafted, and I don’t want to be anywhere else.”
Gonzalez's camp and the Patriots reportedly had conversations at the NFL Combine, and NFL insider Henry McKenna provided an update on where things stand during an appearance on NESN's "Boston Has Entered The Chat."
"I think it's notable that the newest piece of information I could gather dates back to the combine in February," McKenna said on Wednesday. "From what I understand, there were preliminary conversations that happened in Indianapolis between Gonzalez's camp and the Patriots, but since then, I'm not sure they've made any progress, so that's kind of where it stands."
By waiting, Gonzalez now has the benefit of using Trent McDuffie's four-year, $124 million deal as leverage. Gonzalez could be looking to make more than him.
"I kind of get the sense that Gonzalez is going to make maybe significantly more than that deal when all things are said and done," said McKenna. "I think, actually, the Patriots probably want to have a little more urgency than Gonzalez's camp at this point, given the way we're seeing non-quarterback contracts increase in value."
The Patriots will want to get a deal done fast, but it seems like talks are at a standstill. The higher Gonzalez's price tag gets, the harder it may be for the Patriots to get an extension done with Drake Maye after next season.
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