Christian Gonzalez wants to remain with the Patriots, but his next contract is still not done, and the timing may depend on another cornerback waiting on a deal of his own. The New England defender said after the Super Bowl that he was not looking to dig into contract specifics, even as the market for elite corners continues to move.
“I’m not really trying to get into all of that,” Gonzalez said after Super Bowl LX. “I mean, it’s kind of more my agents, they’ll deal with that and keep me up to speed on it.” He added that when he showed up to the building after the championship game, he simply wanted to see teammates one more time and spend a little time with them before the offseason fully took over.
The stakes are high because the top of the cornerback market has already been reset once. The current benchmark belongs to Tret McDuffie, who signed a four-year, $124 million extension after being traded from the Kansas City Chiefs to the Los Angeles Rams this offseason. Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon are both viewed as players who could push that number higher, and both are represented by the same agent.
That shared representation matters because the Seahawks and Witherspoon are not close to an extension right now, according to a report Saturday from 's Brady Henderson. League sources also said Seattle made an initial offer for Witherspoon several weeks ago, but no breakthrough has followed. If Witherspoon lands his deal first, Gonzalez may be next in line.
There is a reason the wait feels consequential in New England. Gonzalez has not come to terms on an extension with the Patriots, and the team would like to keep one of its best young defenders in place. After the Super Bowl, Gonzalez made clear where he wants to be, even if he was not ready to speak on numbers. “I mean, it’s the last time this full team, coaching staff will be in the building,” he said. “And, you know, my agents and (Mike Vrabel) and all, they’ll talk.”
That leaves both sides in a familiar holding pattern: a player who has said he wants to stay, a team that has not yet finished the contract, and a market that may not settle until another high-end corner does. With Witherspoon and Gonzalez carrying the same leverage and the same representation, Gonzalez's extension is more likely to come after Witherspoon's, not before. The next move in one corner could end up setting the price for the other.
