After negotiations had reportedly ceased, the Patriots and star cornerback Christian Gonzalez rekindled talks and finally came to terms on a record-setting extension. More details have emerged on how the two sides reached their four-year, $135MM agreement.
Gonzalez’s new-money average of $33.75MM per year narrowly tops the $33MM AAV Devon Witherspoon received from the Seahawks last month. According to NFL insider Jordan Schultz (video link), Gonzalez’s camp never wavered from that $33.75MM target.
The Patriots apparently believed the impending start of the regular season might lead their 2023 first-rounder to lower his asking price. Instead, Gonzalez (mostly) held firm, and the deal came together Monday night while the Patriots were traveling to Seattle for their season opener against the Seahawks.
Mike Giardi of the Boston Sports Journal believes there was a real chance Gonzalez would have held himself out of the Seattle contest if he did not have a new contract in hand, and in the end, both parties gave a little ground to ensure that did not happen. The Pats ultimately met Gonzalez’s demands in terms of total value, and Gonzalez accepted less than Witherspoon’s full guarantee.
Per Albert Breer of SI.com, of the $102MM in guaranteed money Gonzalez scored, $53.93MM is guaranteed at signing (as opposed to Witherspoon’s ~$59MM figure). Mike Florio of Pro Football Talk observes that Gonzalez’s full guarantee consists of a $33MM signing bonus and base salaries of $2.26MM in 2026 and $18.12MM in 2027. But the contract features a rolling structure that gives Gonzalez significant protection beyond the first two seasons, as his 2028 and 2029 compensation – which includes base salaries of $16MM and $23MM, respectively – becomes fully guaranteed on the fifth day of the preceding league year. Florio and OverTheCap.com have full details for those interested, including workout bonuses and per-game active roster bonuses.
Gonzalez is now under contract with New England through 2031 and has established a new benchmark for the cornerback market just weeks after Witherspoon briefly held the top spot. While the Super Bowl LX rematch did not go as planned for the Pats, who dropped a 13-10 decision to a Seattle club that was piloted by Drew Lock for most of the game, Gonzalez yielded just one catch on four targets and recorded two passes defensed. The Patriots are now banking on years of similar performances.
