For the first time this offseason, Christian Gonzalez admitted he’s frustrated that he remains without a contract extension with the Patriots.
New England been adamant throughout the offseason that reaching an agreement with its star cornerback is part of the team’s plans. However, ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the Patriots and Gonzalez haven’t “been close” on a contract extension.
“So, [Devon] Witherspoon was going to get done first, and it got done at an average
of $33 [million] a year,” Schefter said. “The Patriots have not been in that category. But Witherspoon has established the benchmark, and the Patriots haven’t gone there, and they weren’t there before, and they don’t appear to be going there right now, and they’re off on the two sides of money.
“But the Patriots and Gonzalez haven’t been close. Now, I kind of think like Mike Vrabel views defensive linemen and getting pressure as the most important thing on a defense. Like, he prioritizes that. Loves corners, of course, and he knows that Christian Gonzalez is a great player, but if we’re going to pay players premiums up front, that’s something I think that’s been important to him in the past. I think they want to pay Christian Gonzalez, but they’re obviously not in the same neighborhood right now and haven’t been. Thus, his disappointment.”
It’s now been nearly two weeks since Gonzalez’s friend and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon, who shares an agent with Gonzalez, signed a four-year, $132 million contract extension that featured $59 million in full guarantees and $101 million in total guarantees.
Speaking on Tuesday, Patriots executive vice president of player personal Eliot Wolf reiterated owner Robert Kraft’s comments from earlier this summer that the team’s current offer would still make Gonzalez the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback.
Gonzalez, who has stated he does not wish to negotiate through the media, was asked later that day if that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in every metric.
“There’s certain things that go into a contract that my team knows what we want,” Gonzalez responded. “It kind of depends how you put it.”
The Patriots will conclude their preseason Thursday night in Cleveland before turning their attention to a Week 1 matchup against Witherspoon’s Seahawks on Sept. 9. Schefter speculated that both sides will make another attempt to reach a deal by then. If no agreement is reached, a “range of options” opens up, including waiting until next offseason or potentially listening to trade offers.
“I think that there’s probably another push before the season begins, or at the start of the season, from both sides to try to get done,” Schefter said. “That’s my guess because he’s too good a player not to try to get something done, and they’re too smart not to try to get something done, and the numbers are there.”
