Christian Gonzalez is one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, and looking to get compensated accordingly. The New England Patriots, if team owner Robert Kraft is to be believed, want to meet those demands.
Speaking to reporters ahead of the Patriots’ first training camp practice on Saturday, Kraft said that the Patriots have a record contract offer on the table for the 24-year-old.
“We love Christian Gonzalez. We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the
highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL,” Kraft told reporters on the Gillette Stadium practice fields. “Coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in Patriots franchise history.”
Gonzalez arrived in New England as the 17th overall selection in the 2023 NFL Draft, and since then has been a mainstay in the team’s secondary. A one-time Pro Bowler and one-time All-Pro, he was arguably the club’s most consistent performer the last two seasons and has established himself among the elite players at the cornerback position.
He did all that while still on his rookie contract. The Patriots did exercise the fifth-year option in his contract earlier this offseason but Gonzalez is looking for a longer-term commitment than through the 2027 season.
That is also what the organizaion is looking for, according to Kraft.
2We’re glad we drafted him and he’s developed here, and we hope he will be with us for a long time,” he said.
Trent McDuffie currently holds the title as the highest-paid cornerback in football. The 26-year-old signed a four-year, $124 million contract extension earlier this offseason shortly after getting traded from the Chiefs to the Rams. The expectation is that Gonzalez as well as fellow 2023 first-round draft pick Devon Witherspoon will both surpass McDuffie’s yearly average of $31 million.
