Throughout the offseason, it was well known that the Patriots and Christian Gonzalez were in the negotiation stages of a contract extension, and for the most part, the belief was that a deal would be reached fairly quickly, given just how important the cornerback has become to the defense since he was drafted in the first round in 2023.
As the weeks went by, however, it became clear it wasn't going to happen, and rumors suggested holdups were stalling the process of signing a contract ahead of the regular season.
Fortunately, Gonzalez continued to show up for training camp, a sign of good faith that a deal would eventually get done. But then he mysteriously vanished from practice, with Mike Vrabel suggesting it was an injury, despite the ongoing chatter about what was going on behind the scenes.
That has become the main topic of discussion around the team in recent days, and with under two weeks left until they face the Seahawks in a Super Bowl rematch, the latest reporting offered little optimism that a deal would get done before then.
NFL insiders continue to emphasize that the team and Gonzalez are still "far apart" as negotiations continue, but Mike Florio revealed that it's not all bad news in New England and that things could turn around faster than what we have been led to believe.
Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots are making progress (sort of)
Although he didn't say a deal was imminent, the insider reported that the Patriots and Gonzalez are indeed talking, suggesting a sense of urgency that seemed to be lacking for much of the summer.
That might not be breaking news, but it is a positive development in what seemed like a sticky situation that should have been resolved long ago, especially since the holdup is believed to be over money rather than ridiculous demands from the Pro Bowler.
Florio expanded on what he's heard about the situation, clarifying some of the lingering whispers about what's allegedly going on behind the scenes, and made it clear that the Patriots are the ones being stingy with their money.
"Amid speculation in some circles that Gonzalez wants a three-year extension (making it a five-year deal) while the Patriots are dug in at four new years and six total, we’re told that’s not a sticking point. If/when a new contract is done, it will be a four-year extension.
The sticking points have more to do with structure and total dollars. He’s surely looking to beat the new record high of $33 million in new-money APY, set 15 days ago by Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon."
It has long been assumed that the Patriots were unwilling to pay Gonzalez in the early years of the new contract and would prefer to kick his salary down the road when the cap increases. So when Robert Kraft stated that their offer would make him the highest-paid at the position, it was true, but not necessarily right away.
That's a way teams try to get around paying their players, and that shouldn't be what the Patriots try to do with someone as talented and valuable as Gonzalez.
They're really risking a devastating development if a contract doesn't get signed ahead of Week 1, as even Florio suggested that Gonzalez could turn up "injured" and not suit up for the opening contest, or even longer.
Given the front-load of their schedule and the impact Gonzalez has on the team when he's on the field, that should force the Patriots to kick it into high gear and get this deal done as soon as possible.
Add us as a preferred source on Google