Insider Explains Potential Holdup in Christian Gonzalez Extension Talks originally appeared on NESN. Add NESN as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
Players selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft still have two years remaining on their rookie contracts, so long as their fifth-year options were picked up. That hasn't stopped a significant number of them from signing long-term extensions already.
10 first-round picks from 2023 have signed new deals this offseason, from Will Anderson Jr. and Jalen Carter to Bijan Robinson and Jahmyr Gibbs.
Christian Gonzalez has made it clear he hopes to be next. The Patriots cornerback is coming off a Pro-Bowl season and has emerged as an anchor of a defense that spearheaded a run to the Super Bowl in 2025.
Gonzalez has resisted holding out, continuing to practice with the team as he sets his sights on a new contract, and owner Robert Kraft said in July that the Patriots made him an offer to become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
So, what's standing in the way of a deal? NBC Sports Boston's Tom Curran offered some insight.
"My understanding is Christian Gonzalez does not want his contract to be obsolete within seven months," Curran said. "When the new league year comes and the salary goes from $301 [million] to $330 million, the first corner who comes up under that new cap is going to sign for $34-35 million."
Curran explained that Gonzalez wants to be treated "as if he's at the table in 2027" rather than 2026.
The logic is simple: NFL salaries have risen over time and shown no sign of slowing down. That's why Zay Flowers just signed a contract that pays him the same annual salary than Justin Jefferson and a higher annual salary than CeeDee Lamb. Based on Curran's reporting, Gonzalez isn't content to just become the NFL's highest-paid cornerback, but instead wants to go well above that number to make sure he isn't immediately passed in 2027.
Here's a look at the NFL's highest-paid cornerbacks entering the season.
Highest-Paid Cornerbacks in the NFL
| Rank | Player | Annual salary | Team |
| 1 | Denzel Ward | $31.1 million | Browns |
| 2 | Trent McDuffie | $31 million | Rams |
| 3 | Sauce Gardner | $30.1 million | Colts |
| 4 | Derek Stingley Jr. | $30 million | Texans |
| 5 | Jaycee Horn | $25 million | Panthers |
| 6 | Patrick Surtain II | $24 million | Broncos |
| 7 | DaRon Bland | $22.5 million | Cowboys |
| 8 | A.J. Terrell | $20.25 million | Falcons |
| 9 | Marlon Humphrey | $19.5 million | Ravens |
| 10 | Alontae Taylor | $19.33 million | Titans |
Gonzalez is shooting for a figure above Denzel Ward's $31.1 million, which he received on a recent short-term extension, but Kraft has already said the Patriots offered a deal that would make him the NFL's highest-paid cornerback.
If Gonzalez is looking to soar past that number, he could be seeking between $33-35 million annually, which explains why negotiations haven't produced a deal to this point.