The New England Patriots and cornerback Christian Gonzalez have been discussing an extension for some time now, but nothing has been able to get finalized. That hasn't stopped Gonzalez from participating in training camp, yet the reason that an extension hasn't been hammered out has been exposed.
Tom E. Curran of NBC Sports Boston reported that Gonzo wants an extension that takes the rising salary cap into account.
"In my estimation, what my understanding is, Christian Gonzalez does not want his contract to be obsolete within seven months. When the new league year comes and the salary cap goes from $301 [million] to $330 million, the first corner who comes up under that new cap is going to sign for $34 [million], $35 [million].
So what Christian Gonzalez would like is not to be treated as if he's at the table in 2026, but be treated as if he's at the table in 2027," Curran said on Arbella Early Edition.
And with the salary cap expected to continue rising, Gonzalez wants that factored into his new deal.
Biggest obstacle to a Christian Gonzalez extension is finally clear
The NFL's salary cap will only increase as the league's total revenue climbs. With more money expected to be added to teams' budgets in the future, Gonzalez wants that extra money added so that in a year from now, he's still among the highest-paid cornerbacks in the league.
Denzel Ward of the Cleveland Browns is the highest-paid CB in the league, making $31.1 million per year. Devon Witherspoon of the Seahawks is another cornerback due for an extension, but based on the market, he may not seek more than $32 million, which would give him the highest-paid CB tag.
Sauce Gardner, Trent McDuffie, and Ward were the last three CBs to get that label, but didn't look to get more than a million, less than the corner who was the highest paid at the time.
That doesn't seem to be the route Gonzalez wants to take, and it'll be up to the Patriots to see if they want to meet that asking price. If Gonzalez gets an extension that comes out to $34-$35 million per year, that would be $4 million more than the highest-paid guy and would completely change the CB landscape.
It's certainly a hefty price, but the Washington product has been as good as advertised. He's the definition of a lockdown CB1, and he wants to be paid as such. Time will tell if New England wants to get up to that price point remains to be seen, but that seems to be the reason an extension isn't finalized.
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