Free agency is more so in the rearview mirror at this point in the offseason, as the upcoming NFL Draft takes center stage, and the Patriots won't be on the clock until pick No. 31 in the first round, which is much later than they have been over the last few years.
Because of that, it makes it much more difficult to determine who they will take, and instead has analysts and fans focused on other serious matters, like a massive contract extension for cornerback Christian Gonzalez.
The 2023 first-round pick is eligible for that this year and from what we've heard from Mike Vrabel and Eliot Wolf, they want to keep him around for a long time. But they have yet to strike a deal to make that happen and have instead only picked up his fifth-year option.
Given how important he has become to the team, there was optimism that a deal would be struck much sooner than it will be. But based on Wolf's response when asked for an update, it doesn't appear to be happening any time soon.
Eliot Wolf on Christian Gonzalez: "No Gonzalez update other than I'll continue to say we want Christian here."
— Mark Daniels (@ByMarkDaniels) April 13, 2026
That's not exactly what Patriots fans wnat to hear.
The Patriots are no closer to extending Christian Gonzalez than they were at the start of the offseason
After it was announced that Gonzalez's fifth-year option was picked up, there was optimism that a deal would be imminent, only for it to be several weeks later, and there hasn't been any movement on the matter.
It's beginning to go down the path some are concerned about: waiting too long to get a deal done and potentially facing a holdout situation this summer.
The superstar cornerback is set to make around $4 million for the 2026 season, which is significantly lower than what a player of his caliber should be making, so getting an extension done sooner shows not only good faith from the organization but also boosts his future payday to the level he deserves.
There's also a risk in waiting if other cornerbacks are set for an extension, too, as they can reset the market and increase the number that Gonzalez will ultimately be looking for. That already happened with the Rams' new contract for Trent McDuffie, and it can only get worse for New England if they continue to wait.
That, of course, works in Gonzalez's favor, and hopefully, that will be enough to get Vrabel and Wolf more active in getting a deal done sooner rather than later.