The New England Patriots may be headed for a lengthy contract dispute with one of their key players.
The Patriots still have yet to get close to a new contract with cornerback Christian Gonzalez, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Gonzalez expects to use Seattle Seahawks DB Devon Witherspoon’s recent $132 million deal as a template for his own, but the Patriots have yet to offer anything close to the roughly $33 million annual salary Witherspoon got.
“Witherspoon has established the benchmark, and the Patriots haven’t gone there. They weren’t there before and they don’t appear to be going there right now,” Schefter said. “I think they want to pay Christian Gonzalez, but they’re obviously not in the same neighborhood right now and haven’t been, thus his disappointment.”
Schefter added that he expects the two sides to talk again before the season starts, but if the two sides fail to reach an agreement by that point, Gonzalez’s future will become much more uncertain.
“I think there’s probably another push before the season begins from both sides to try to get it done. That’s my guess, because he’s too good a player not to try to get something done, and they’re too smart not to try and get something done,” Schefter said.
"I don't think that Christian Gonzalez and the Patriots have been close to a new deal..
— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) August 27, 2026
They don't appear to be wanting to give him Devon Witherspoon type money..
I think there's probably one more push by both sides to try and get a deal done before the season starts" ~… pic.twitter.com/eElbELq8pb
Gonzalez has two years left on his current deal and is highly underpaid relative to his accomplishments. He has gone public with his frustration over how negotiations have gone so far, and it does not sound like the situation is about to get any better for him.
Gonzalez, 24, has already made a strong argument to be one of the highest-paid CBs in the league. A former first-round pick by the Patriots in 2023 (No. 17 overall), Gonzalez was an All-Pro in 2024 as well as a Pro Bowler in 2025. Last season for New England, Gonzalez logged 69 combined tackles and 10 passes defended, becoming a cornerstone of the defense that made it all the way to Super Bowl LX against the Seahawks.
