The New England Patriots have made their intentions quite clear that they would like to keep Pro Bowl cornerback Christian Gonzalez beyond the rookie contract that is currently set to expire in 2027. Earlier this offseason, they began putting their words into action.
According to a report by Henry McKenna of Fox Sports, the Patriots and Gonzalez entered “preliminary conversations” about a contract extension at last month’s Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.
Gonzalez joined the Patriots as the 17th overall
selection in the 2023 NFL Draft out of Oregon. He has since appeared in a combined 38 regular season and playoff games for the organization, establishing himself as one of the best cornerbacks in all of football.
Now entering the final season of his original four-year rookie contract, there is desire on the Patriots’ part to sign Gonzalez to a long-term deal
“Obviously, we love Christian and we’ll talk about those things when the time is appropriate. But Christian took a big step forward this year,” Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said at the Combine. “He took a big step forward with his play style and we’re excited about having him be a part of our team for the long term.”
Gonzalez became eligible to sign an extension earlier this year, and the expectation is that he will become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL once a deal is done. That title currently belongs to Trent McDuffie, who recently signed a four-year, $124 million contract after getting traded from the Chiefs to the Rams.
While the Patriots’ stated goal is to keep Gonzalez for the long term, they also have the fifth-year contract option at their disposal for the 2027 season. Valued at a fully-guaranteed $18.119 million, it. needs to be exercised until May 1.
