FOXBORO — Given a chance Tuesday to respond to comments made by Patriots owner Robert Kraft, revealing that the team made an offer that would make Christian Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and the highest-paid player in franchise history, the Pro Bowl cornerback deflected the question.
Gonzalez is unwilling to negotiate through the media, electing instead to keep contract talks in-house.
“Yeah, I mean everybody knows what Mr. Kraft has done. A ton of respect for Mr. Kraft and what he’s done with the franchise. It’s something we don’t want to handle in the media,” Gonzalez said. “You know, keep that with the team and my team, and go on about that.”
Gonzalez wouldn’t say if Kraft’s comments bothered him, if it’s important for him to be the highest-paid player at his position or if he would play this season without a new contract in place.
The 2024 second-team All-Pro did say that he still wants a deal to get done between him and the Patriots.
“I hope so. I hope so,” Gonzalez repeated when asked if he’s confident he can agree to terms with the Patriots on an extension.
Gonzalez is newly eligible for a contract extension this offseason after playing three years on his rookie deal after being selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The Patriots already picked up his fifth-year option, keeping him under team control through the 2027 season.
It was a slight surprise to see Gonzalez as a full participant in practice through the first four days of training camp. Without a new deal in place, Gonzalez skipped most of the offseason workout program and didn’t participate in team drills in minicamp.
“These are my guys. It’s hard to sit and just watch,” Gonzalez said. “I like to be out on the field. It’s what I love to do. At the end of the day, I got to get better for myself and for the team. So, got to do what I got to do and grind and continue to push myself.”
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez signs autographs during training camp at Gillette Stadium on Tuesday, July 28, 2026. (Photo By Matt Stone/Boston Herald).
The Patriots have an off day on Wednesday before fully padded practices begin on Thursday.
So, will he still be participating in full-team drills when the Patriots next take the field?
“I’ll be out here,” is all Gonzalez said.
Gonzalez suffered a hamstring injury that kept him out most of the summer and forced him to miss the first three weeks of the 2026 NFL season.
The top Patriots defender said that injury isn’t on his mind.
“No, not at all,” Gonzalez said. “I mean, no football player ever thinks of, ‘I’m gonna come out here and get injured.’ You don’t think like that. You don’t. It’s football. It was the hammy. It was a year ago. Things happen. I’m out here now getting ready for this season.”
The reality of the situation is, however, that if Gonzalez were to suffer a significant injury in practice, he likely would not still be in the position to sign a record-breaking contract.
The current top-paid NFL cornerback, Trent McDuffie, makes $31 million per year. Based on Kraft’s comments, the Patriots have an offer on the table worth more than that. Fair or not, it would be reasonable for the Patriots to back off of a high-paying deal if Gonzalez suffered an injury.
So, he is taking some risk by being on the field during the summer before signing a multi-year contract extension.
Another cornerback taken in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, the Seahawks’ Devon Witherspoon, is also participating in training camp without a contract extension in place. Seahawks head coach Mike Macdonald has expressed confidence that the team would reach a deal with Witherspoon.
Gonzalez was asked if he feels like he’s competing with Witherspoon for a top contract.
“I mean, Spoon’s my guy,” Gonzalez said. “We work out all the time together. I respect Spoon, an amazing player. But I feel like it’s kind of like what I said: keep that between my team and the front office.”
Another player from Gonzalez’s draft class, Eagles defensive tackle Jalen Carter, reportedly agreed to a four-year, $152 million deal on Tuesday. Carter is now the fourth 2023 first-round pick to get a contract extension, joining Texans outside linebacker Will Anderson, Lions linebacker Jack Campbell and Seahawks wide receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba.
Will Gonzalez be next? Or is he waiting out Witherspoon, with whom he shares an agent, to sign his contract extension?
Only time will tell.
