Now that the Patriots are just a few weeks away from the start of training camp, there will inevitably be a hard focus on how they handle cornerback Christian Gonzalez's pending contract extension, which has already begun to take a hit to their offseason practices.
Gonzalez was present but didn't participate in much of the offseason program, reportedly due to ongoing contract negotiations. Although the Patriots have stated they want to keep him around, they haven't acted with any urgency to get a deal done, which has many concerned about what the future might bring.
To even the most casual fan, it's beyond clear that the Pro Bowler has done everything right to earn a massive deal, maybe even becoming the highest-paid cornerback in the league. But for some reason, the Patriots are hesitant to make that happen.
If we are to believe that they want to keep Gonzalez around to be the face of their defense for years to come, then the biggest question about his upcoming deal becomes fairly obvious: how much money will the Patriots be willing to pay him?
Over the years, New England hasn't been a team unwilling to move on from superstars if they don't want to pay up, and although we haven't seen that yet with the Mike Vrabel regime, there's a chance they'll be the same.
But they have shown a willingness to pay for good players, as they did with Milton Williams, so there's no reason they will be any different with Gonzalez.
The Patriots have a big question to answer when they finally give Christian Gonzalez his extension
Given that his new deal is already considered the team's most important extension, the Patriots have a duty to follow through on their word and extend Gonzalez far beyond the 2027 season.
They already picked up his fifth-year option, so he's technically under contract until 2028, and that's when he should be paid the big bucks for being one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL today, which many of his peers already recognize him for.
His on-field production and his development as a leader of the defense prove that he's earned the right to be the highest-paid at the position, and the Patriots should be more willing to accommodate that than they appear to be at this moment.
And if they want to avoid having to pay him even more, they should get a contract signed as soon as possible because waiting only risks the Seahawks agreeing to a massive deal with Devon Witherspoon first, putting Wolf on the hook to pay Gonzalez even more.
If money is currently what's holding them back, then that would be an absolute disaster.
There should be no question about whether Gonzalez gets paid, because he's been everything the Patriots defense has needed since he was drafted in the first round in 2023. The question is more about what they are willing to pay him, and it would be fair to suggest it should be top dollar at this point.
What else should Gonzalez have done to earn that kind of contract? He's not easily replaceable, and the secondary has suffered when he's not on the field. So that right there proves his value beyond any doubt.
The team has a chance to show they will reward their players in the way that they deserve, and setting that precedent with someone like Gonzalez would say a lot to their team. Hopefully, they do the right thing and give him what he's earned.
Add us as a preferred source on Google