New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez skipped the team's voluntary OTAs in late May as he seeks a contract extension.
Gonzalez has been in attendance for the Patriots' mandatory minicamp though, as stages a contract hold-in.
New England cornerback coach Justin Hamilton discussed the situation following Thursday's practice.
"(Gonzalez is) locked in. He’s the same guy that he was last time, not this offseason, but last year," Hamilton said, according to Patriots beat reporter Mark Daniels of MassLive.com. "He’s super smart. He interacts really well. He’s got good questions, he makes good points, all those things. And he’s a pro. We all understand. It’s somewhat the elephant in the room, and he understands how it works. And the personal, the professional. I’m in the middle where it doesn’t involve me. He knows how I feel about him and what he brings and his value, not only to our team, but at the position."
The 23-year-old led New England in solo tackles (54) and was tied for second in passes defended (10) during the 2025 regular season while recording five passes defended, one interception, one forced fumble and 1.0 sack across three playoff games as well.
Gonzalez earned Pro Bowl honors for the first time in his young career and MassLive Patriots insider Karen Guregian recently said that the "assumption" is that the former 17th overall pick is seeking $35 million per year on his new deal "at the very least."
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