After putting together one of the best seasons of his career, most of which doesn't show up on the box score, Christian Gonzalez has made it easy for the Patriots to prioritize signing him to a massive extension that officially resets the cornerback market.
He has earned every penny and has become one of the best at the position in the league, so it's inevitable that a new contract is right around the corner.
The problem is that, according to unofficial general manager Eliot Wolf, those conversations haven't happened yet between the Patriots and Gonzalez, and while that shouldn't be too concerning, it was assumed those talks had already been had, at least a little bit.
Yet apparently, they have not.
Eliot Wolf on approaching contract talks with Christian Gonzalez: "Christian, obviously was good before, and made an even more significant jump this year. And he's someone that we want to work with in the future, obviously. We'll have those conversations at the appropriate time."
— Phil Perry (@PhilAPerry) February 24, 2026
Considering the kind of season that Gonzalez had in 2025, he would immediately become a free agency target if he were to hit the market for the first time in his career. He's not a player that the Patriots should even allow to test free agency, so hearing that they haven't had much discussion about an extension is a little bit alarming.
The Patriots need to get a deal done with Christian Gonzalez sooner rather than later
Because he is one of the best players the Patriots have not only drafted, but have had on their roster for many years, there's no reason for them to hold off on reaching an agreement on an extension. In fact, waiting too long could become problematic, as it generally does for teams in this position.
It could get to a point where Gonzalez becomes frustrated with the process, or lack thereof, and chooses to explore his options elsewhere, which would be a disaster.
On top of it all, New England will be on the hook for his extension this year, and then likely have to do the same thing with Drake Maye next year, who will be entering the 2027 season on the final year of his rookie contract.
That means it would be wise of them to get the deal done with Gonzalez as soon as possible, rather than waiting to add even more to their plate next offseason.
There's no reason to test the waters in this kind of situation, so the sooner they reach an agreement, the better. And Patriots fans will be counting on Vrabel and Co. to accomplish that, particularly with Wolf to get it done after a rough 2024 offseason that's still talked about.