The New England Patriots know Christian Gonzalez is a key piece of their defense, but the clock is not exactly working in their favor. The team has already shown a willingness to make Gonzalez one of the NFL’s highest-paid cornerbacks, yet the market has shifted again while the sides remain apart.
With elite defensive backs landing record-setting contracts, New England now has a tougher number to beat. This delay has drawn criticism from a three-time Super Bowl champion who believes the Patriots should have acted sooner.
Christian Gonzalez Limbo Has Patriots Facing a Bigger Price
On The Stinkin Truth Podcast, three-time Super Bowl champion Mark Schlereth discussed the situation and questioned why New England has not finished a deal with Gonzalez.
Schlereth’s co-host noted that the Patriots continue to “drag their feet” on an extension for one of the league’s top cornerbacks, setting up Schlereth’s argument about the cost of waiting.
Schlereth explained that New England had an opportunity to make Gonzalez the top-paid cornerback before another player changed the market again. “If two weeks ago you would have made him the highest-paid corner in the National Football League, you know what would have happened?” Schlereth said.
Evans responded that Gonzalez would already be “like third now,” highlighting how quickly the cornerback market can shift.
Schlereth then pressed the point, asking, “He’d already get usurped, right? So why don’t you do that?”
The co-host followed by explaining the larger concern for New England: “’Cause then you end up chasing the market rather than establishing the market.”
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The concern became even more relevant when Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension with more than $101 million guaranteed. His $33 million average annual value moved him past the previous top contracts and gave Gonzalez’s camp a fresh benchmark.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said the organization offered Gonzalez, who ranked 24th in PFN NFL CB Impact, a contract that would have made him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and the highest-paid player in franchise history.
“We love Christian Gonzalez. We love him as a player, as a person, and that’s why we’ve made an offer to him to make him the highest-paid player to ever play that position in the NFL,” Kraft said in July. “Coincidentally, it is the highest contract in Patriots franchise history. So we’re glad we drafted him, he’s developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”
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The issue now is whether this offer still matches the market after Witherspoon’s agreement.
The Patriots have the financial flexibility to make a major commitment. They have roughly $35.5 million in 2026 cap space and remain well-positioned for future spending.
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Witherspoon now sits at the top of the position at $33 million per year, followed by Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward at $31.1 million. Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie ranks third at $31 million, while Sauce Gardner and Derek Stingley Jr. follow at $30.1 million and $30 million, respectively.
The rest of the top ten includes Jaycee Horn ($25 million), Jalen Ramsey ($24.1 million), Patrick Surtain II ($24 million), DaRon Bland ($22.5 million), and A.J. Terrell ($20.25 million).
Five cornerbacks now earn at least $30 million annually, a threshold that has rapidly become the new standard for elite players. Gonzalez’s camp, therefore, has reason to consider future market growth when negotiating a long-term deal.
This leaves New England with a straightforward challenge. The Patriots can still secure Gonzalez, but every new elite cornerback contract could make the price of waiting even higher.
This article originally appeared on Pro Football Network.