The New England Patriots have entered Phase II of Mike Vrabel's rebuilding of the lackluster roster he inherited last January. Vrabel knew what he had in the then-about-to-be second-year quarterback, Drake Maye. He then set about restructuring the roster, reducing it by about 50%.
One of his other key players on hand was third-year cornerback Christian Gonzalez. Former Patriots' great Rodney Harrison thinks signing him to an extension is a no-brainer. He'll get few arguments.
As a former first-round pick, Gonzalez is eligible to sign a contract extension. Harrison isn't alone in feeling that an extension for Gonzalez is the right thing to do. That contract extension will elicit as close to a consensus as you'll find, along with the extension that Drake Maye should get after next season.
After quarterback, maybe left tackle, and a top sack-producer, having a top-of-the-NFL cornerback on hand is as close to a guarantee that you'll have a solid chance to succeed as you'll get. Gonzalez, a former second-team All-Pro and a Pro Bowler this season, falls right into that category.
Mike Vrabel should sign Christian Gonzalez to a contract extension now
A top 2026 off-season priority for the Patriots' front office, while Vrabel rounds up his second batch of additions, must be to sign Gonzalez to a long-term extension. While he had an injury-plagued rookie season, his last two have shown that he not only has potential but is currently one of the best, if not the best, cornerbacks in the NFL.
MassLive's Karen Guregian quoted former Patriots great Rodney Harrison's view on signing Gonzalez to an extension.
"'I’m paying him. I’m not letting a young guy like that go,' Harrison said Thursday. 'The only thing I’ve said about him, personally, is sometimes he loses focus a little bit when he’s going against lesser talent, but the kid can play.
And if you want that level, if you want a shutdown corner, or a corner that can match up with No. 1, that’s what it’s going to cost you, especially with him coming off this season.
'If you’re going to sign him, this is the time to sign him. You still got Drake (Maye) for another few years before you have to pay him.'"
As a former top safety in the NFL, he's well aware that taking your opponent's best receiver out of a game is an almost invaluable asset. Gonzalez is that level of cornerback, and he proved it in style in his latest effort.
Christian Gonzalez shone in the Super Bowl, leaving no doubt about his talent
Christian Gonzalez was in a dream match-up in the Super Bowl against the NFL's best receiver, Jaxon Smith-Njigba. Smith-Njigba had had a 2025 season for the ages. He'd caught 119 passes for 1793 yards and 10 touchdowns from Seattle Seahawks quarterback Sam Darnold.
It was thought that if Gonzalez was tasked with guarding Smith-Njigba, it might well determine the game's result.
It didn't, but Gonzalez did his job while many of his teammates did not. Gonzalez limited Smith-Njigba to four catches for 27 yards on 10 targets. While the Seahawks star was dinged up, the result still spoke for itself. It was a clear win in the matchup for Gonzalez. The All-Pro receiver was shut down by Gonzalez and was hardly a factor at all in the biggest game of the season.
If anyone needed any convincing of Christian Gonzalez's talent, they'd need to look no further than that almost other-worldly superb performance on Smith-Njigba in the Super Bowl. Rodney Harrison is right, you sign that shutdown cornerback now.
The future looks bright for the new Patriots under Mike Vrabel, and Gonzalez is one of his young foundational pieces. The modus operandi for the Patriots should always be: sign the best, in this case, Gonzalez, and scout the rest. His extension should be in the works now and completed soon.