The Patriots' 2025 offseason was considered one of the most important in recent memory, mainly due to the arrival of Mike Vrabel and his staff and the second-year development of presumed franchise quarterback Drake Maye. After a disastrous 2024 season, they needed a bounce-back year in a major way, and by all accounts, they accomplished that.
But it might be fair to argue that this offseason is almost more important, as they're on the heels of an unexpected Super Bowl appearance and officially have targets on their back now. That makes it more crucial to keep around their best players, with cornerback Christian Gonzalez at the top of the list.
The last first-round pick made by Bill Belichick has become a staple of New England's secondary, while also creating a name for himself across the league. He has asserted himself as one of the best in the league at the position, and he's now up for a massive extension this offseason.
Before that, however, the Patriots could decide to pick up his fifth-year option, yet nothing has really been said about that until now.
Mike Vrabel finally addressed the possibility of the team doing that before ultimately reaching an extension, and he sent a clear message to the higher-ups about what he wants them to do with Gonzalez as soon as possible.
Mike Vrabel wants to see the Patriots pick up Christian Gonzalez's fifth-year option ASAP
While speaking to reporters in Arizona for the annual owner's meeting, Vrabel emphasized his desire to see Gonzalez's fifth-year option picked up, and seemed to have sent a message to Eliot Wolf to get it done and get it done quickly.
Mike Vrabel on #Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez’s fifth-year option and his potential extension:
— Carlos A. Lopez (@LosTalksPats) March 31, 2026
“Yes. If we haven’t picked it up, we should pick it up.”
“We wanna make sure that we draft extremely well and then we identify the guys we wanna keep… Gonzo’s certainly one of those… pic.twitter.com/Dgs0QmjtXa
Most of the conversation surrounding Gonzalez has revolved around an extension, with little discussion of picking up his fifth-year option first or instead.
It's clear that Vrabel wants to keep him around, which Wolf also seemed interested in, as well. And it looks like the best route is to pick up his option and then reach an agreement on an extension to ensure the cornerback plays in New England in 2027.
That's exactly what the Seahawks did with their 2023 first-round picks this offseason, including the cornerback that was taken before Gonzalez, Devon Witherspoon, and the Patriots have every reason to follow suit.