In a vacuum, Christian Gonzalez returning to practice this week should be a positive sign that his representatives and the New England Patriots are nearing a contract resolution.
But the longer this thing drags out, the more fans should worry about next offseason and what could be an even more painful negotiation process for Drake Maye.
Gonzalez’s extension should be as straightforward as it gets. Ten of the 2023 NFL Draft’s top 23 selections have now cashed in with market-setting deals, led by Texans edge rusher Will Anderson (three years, $150 million) and Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter (four years, $152 million).
The latest was Seahawks corner Devon Witherspoon, whose four-year, $132 million extension made him the highest-paid at the position at $33 million per season.
The Patriots should have no problem getting Gonzalez to $35 million per year, especially after owner Robert Kraft’s comments a month ago. The devil with these contracts, though, is in the details. How much is fully guaranteed at signing? How much is paid out over the first one or two years, especially when the new money kicks in?
General manager Eliot Wolf wouldn’t go there during his latest session with reporters on Tuesday, but he did make some curious comments regarding the Gonzalez contract and how it might affect future talks with Maye.
Wolf thankfully didn’t mention the salary cap as being an excuse. Instead, he pointed to the team’s “cash budget” and went on to mention ownership by name.
“You know, it’s about a cash budget and things like that,” Wolf said. “So we’re very aware of the timing of these things, and we’re cognizant of having to plan for that. And working with Jonathan and Robert, [we’re] thankful for their support that they’re open and willing for us to be able to sign these great players.”
Eliot Wolf on whether Drake Maye becoming extension-eligible next year factors into the Christian Gonzalez negotiations:
— Justin Turpin (@JustinmTurpin) August 25, 2026
“It’s about a cash budget and things like that. So we’re very aware of the timing of these things, and we’re cognizant of having a plan for that.” pic.twitter.com/qie9qlPdRW
The Patriots' spending history isn’t doing them any favors with their top stars due to be paid
The Patriots have always been a cash-to-cap team, typically operating in three-year windows before resetting the budget, as Greg Bedard of Boston Sports Journal laid out ahead of Mike Vrabel’s first season. They haven’t done many record-setting extensions like the ones we’re now routinely seeing throughout the league.
More modern front offices like the Eagles, 49ers, Browns, and Bills utilize void years heavily in contracts to both pay their top players and manage the salary cap.
This cash-over-cap strategy is often negatively coined as “kicking the can down the road,” but prorating funds into future seasons makes sense with how much the NFL’s salary cap has grown from year to year. The league’s top executives can manage those projections accordingly and pull the proper levers, as long as their owners are willing to approve the necessary funds up front.
The rival Buffalo Bills are a great example, as they’ve routinely spent beyond the cap. In 2025, the NFL’s cap number was $279.2 million. Buffalo spent $341.2 million, which was over 122 percent of the cap.
The Krafts could easily offer Gonzalez a more modern contract while fielding one of the best teams in the NFL this year and doing the exact same thing for Maye in 2027. This isn’t rocket science. It comes down to billionaire franchises being willing to front the cash necessary to keep and take care of their most important players.
The New England Patriots ranked 29th in real-cash spending over a five-year period from 2021-25
The harsh reality for Gonzalez, Maye, and the Patriots right now is that the team hasn’t done business this way. In terms of bona fide, top-of-the-market stars, they’re only really paying Milton Williams right now.
Per Over the Cap, the Krafts spent $86.2 million below the league average from 2021 to 2025, a five-year span bridging three separate coaching regimes. The one constant is painfully obvious.
Updated NFL cash spend on players since 2020 (Spotrac data).
— Justis Mosqueda (@JuMosq) January 5, 2026
The Cleveland Browns have spent $362 million more on players than the Los Angeles Rams since the pandemic forced teams to learn how to use void years.
The league, overall, has spent $138 million over cap dollars. pic.twitter.com/0t1EA6IeJp
Their spending follows a specific pattern tied to the three-year windows that Bedard has reported on. In 2021, the Patriots ranked fourth in spending at $235 million. They were 26th in 2022. The reset came in 2023, when they ranked 31st, spending $196.7 million in a year when the salary cap was set at $224.8 million.
The pattern has since shifted back up, starting in 2024, when the Patriots ranked 15th in spending. They cracked the top 10 in 2025, which was Vrabel’s first season, ranking ninth at $313.9 million.
This season? With Williams the only player on the roster the team has extended itself for, and Gonzalez still waiting for his new deal? The Patriots currently rank 25th at $326.3 million, which is already more than $25 million over the NFL’s cap number.
It’s really as simple as following the real money, and the Patriots’ recent pattern of spending. They’ve been on an upswing in recent years. This 2026 season would typically be a de facto reset. Meanwhile, Gonzalez’s looming contract could greatly impact what Wolf called the team’s “cash budget” during Tuesday's presser.
Through that lens, it's hard not to look at Maye’s looming mega extension, which he becomes eligible for after this year, and not fear the absolute worst.
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