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New England Patriots corner Christian Gonzalez spoke about his contract and his desire to stay with the Patriots organization. The latter met with the media on Tuesday afternoon and discussed that in great detail.
Earlier on Tuesday, it was confirmed that Gonzalez would be at practice. Coach Mike Vrabel met with the media on Tuesday afternoon and talked about Gonzalez’s availability over the next couple days. It was clear that Gonzalez was going to be on the field and make a return to organized activities.
Now, it seems like Gonzalez knows what he wants. He indicated that he hopes both sides of the negotiation can get something done, and he made it clear that he wants to be a Patriot long-term. MassLive’s Mark Daniels reported this.
“Of course I want to be here. I’ve said this multiple times, I was drafted here. I want to be rewarded as a Patriot. I love this town, I love this city. So yea, of course I want to be here.”
Gonzalez Was Draft Steal For Patriots
Gonzalez was drafted with the 17th overall pick in the first round of the 2023 NFL draft. At the time, the Patriots originally held the 14th pick but traded back three spots with the Pittsburgh Steelers. They acquired the 120th overall selection in addition to Gonzalez. On top of this, Gonzalez was the third corner taken in this class. He was selected after Devon Witherspoon of the Seattle Seahawks and Emmanuel Forbes of the Washington Commanders.
Gonzalez’s original rookie contract was four years and a little over $15 million in value. This included a $7.98 million signing bonus.
Gonzalez has more than lived up to the amount of that original contract. He was named to his first Pro Bowl in 2026 after recording 69 tackles and 10 pass deflections. He has also won other awards throughout his entire career. 2024 was very fruitful for him in terms of accolades, as he was named to the Associated Press All-Pro Second-Team and was a finalist for the NFL Comeback Player of the Year. He recorded 50 tackles that year as well as two interceptions.
Now, he is looking to get paid as a top corner. We have seen the quarterback contract market increase just in the past couple of months alone. In addition to Trent McDuffie’s deal, Seattle Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon is also angling for a new deal. One has to wonder if Gonzalez is waiting for Witherspoon or if he is looking to get his own deal.
Gonzalez Wants To Be Member of Patriots
From the sounds of it, Gonzalez wants to be here and wants to be rewarded as a member of the Patriots. That part is very much clear, at least in his statement to the media. Now, it seems like waiting is going to be the name of the game until both sides agree. Hopefully, this will not be a situation that drags out much longer, and the Patriots can get a deal done.
NFL.com’s Ian Rapoport indicated that a deal may get done before the Patriots’ opening game with the Seattle Seahawks. That is undoubtedly a wide-ranging timeline, but at least it gives some clarity as to where negotiation stands now. It definitely sounds like the Patriots are in the process of trying to get a deal done.
Danny Jaillet Danny Jaillet is a sportswriter with more than 15 years experience in the industry. He has been featured on Fox Sports, USA Today, and Yahoo Sports among others. He graduated from Worcester State University with a B.A. in communications and a minor in writing. More about Danny Jaillet
