Patriots' Christian Gonzalez frustrated as contract extension talks drag
The Patriots and cornerback Christian Gonzalez still do not have a contract extension in place, and with the regular-season opener closing in, the 2023 first-round pick is openly frustrated by the lack of progress. In a Tuesday…
The Patriots and cornerback Christian Gonzalez still do not have a contract extension in place, and with the regular-season opener closing in, the 2023 first-round pick is openly frustrated by the lack of progress.
From the media tent: CB Christian Gonzalez seems tired of answering questions about his contract status … and shares some frustration on the overall situation while highlighting the theme of focusing on Week 1. Parts of the Q&A: Question: How frustrating is it on your part that no contract extension has been reached? Christian Gonzalez: “It’s frustrating, but I’m focused on the season. I’m focused on here now.” Question: Are you still optimistic things could get done? Gonzalez: “I’m focused on Week 1 at this point. I mean, it’s been all offseason …” Question: Are you prepared to play Week 1 if a deal isn’t reached? Gonzalez: “I’m focused on today, this practice, and we’ll see where we go.”View on X →
Mike Reiss (@MikeReiss): From the media tent: CB Christian Gonzalez seems tired of answering questions about his contract status … and shares some frustration on the overall situation while highlighting the theme of focusing on Week 1. Parts of the Q&A: Question: How frustrating is it on your part that no contract extension has been reached? Christian Gonzalez: “It’s frustrating, but I’m focused on the season. I’m focused on here now.” Question: Are you still optimistic things could get done? Gonzalez: “I’m focused on Week 1 at this point. I mean, it’s been all offseason …” Question: Are you prepared to play Week 1 if a deal isn’t reached? Gonzalez: “I’m focused on today, this practice, and we’ll see where we go.”
In a Tuesday media session, Gonzalez was asked directly about the stalled talks. Asked how frustrating it is that no deal is done, he said it is "frustrating, but I'm focused on the season," and when pressed on whether he remains optimistic, he said he is "focused on Week 1 at this point." He confirmed he is prepared to play Week 1 even without a new contract.
New England's front office has consistently framed the lack of a deal as not a crisis. Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Tuesday the two sides are "continuing to work" and that he is "positive that we're making momentum," and added that neither side has set Week 1 as a deadline.
The holdup comes with the cornerback market freshly reset. Seattle's recent extension for Devon Witherspoon pushed the new-money bar to roughly $33 million per year, a figure widely seen as the template for Gonzalez's deal — yet an agreement has not followed. Gonzalez is under contract for two more seasons, so the urgency sits with the player rather than the team as the Sept. 9 opener approaches.