There are no official deadlines in late June or early July in the National Football League. In New England, though, all eyes remain on the Christian Gonzalez contract situation and whether or not he becomes the next young, budding defensive superstar to be rewarded with a mega-deal.
Gonzalez, the team’s first-round pick in 2023, has one Pro Bowl and one monster playoff run that has people talking about him like he's an elite corner.
Huge playoff run sets up pay day
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The 23-year-old’s (he turns 24 on June 28) pass break up of a Sam Darnold-to-Rashid Shaheed bomb down the middle in the second quarter might have been the best play of Super Bowl LX, despite the fact that it came in the Patriots’ disappointing loss.
It resonates and has New England fans hungering for the team to lock him up with a long-term extension.
Gonzalez has been relatively coy about his contract and any negotiations. While passing on much of the voluntary spring organized team activities, he attended the recent mandatory mini-camp, taking part in individual drills but abstaining from competitive reps.
Christian Gonzalez is a potential 'hold-in' candidate
His presence was clearly missed, especially by the new guy in town, former Eagles’ receiver and recent trade piece, A.J. Brown.
“Great player, we can push each other. It’s good on good. That leaves very little room for mistakes,” said Brown. “I love going against guys like that. Those are my matchups, and I don’t shy away from them. Getting to practice against him and (Carlton Davis). That’s what you want.”
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There’s a possibility that those head-to-head team reps might not happen in training camp, either.
Gonzalez, in the middle of his four-year, $15 million rookie deal, is slated to earn just under $3 million in cash this season.
Considering the extensions that young corners have received from their teams recently, there is legitimacy to the idea of Gonzalez “holding in” for training camp – that is, attending sessions to avoid fines with either limited or no participation.
Top NFL corners get paid
It makes sense that Gonzalez is looking to be extended on the level of recent deals like the Rams’ Trent McDuffie ($31 million per year), Indianapolis’ Sauce Gardner ($30 million per year, signed by the Jets) and Houston’s Derek Stingley ($30 million per year).
Gonzalez would clearly like to get this done and get on the field with his team by August. Remember, a year ago, an early injury cost him the first three games of the 2025 season and likely caused him to start slowly before his dynamite playoff run.
“That’s up to my agents and the team, and I hope we get something done,” Gonzalez said at minicamp in June. “Of course, I want to be here …I’ve been drafted here. I want to be rewarded as a Patriot. I love this town. I love this city. So yeah, of course I want to be here.”
