Sources: Gonzalez lands record deal with Patriots — SkimNews
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Christian Gonzalez agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension with $102 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history after topping the four-year, $132 million deal Devon Witherspoon signed with Seattle last month.
- The agreement was finalized late Monday night, less than 48 hours before the Patriots' Wednesday regular-season opener against the Seahawks — a Super Bowl LX rematch.
- Gonzalez had been the Patriots' biggest contract question of the offseason: he skipped most voluntary workouts, took part only in walkthroughs at mandatory minicamp, and said Aug. 25 he was frustrated the situation remained unresolved, while owner Robert Kraft claimed the team had already offered him a record-setting deal.
- Both Gonzalez and Witherspoon share agent Reggie Johnson, a detail that helps explain why the Patriots' number kept climbing after Seattle set the new high-water mark.
- Gonzalez, the No. 17 pick in the 2023 draft and a one-time All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection, was eligible for his first extension this offseason and had two years and roughly $20.4 million left on his prior deal, with the Patriots still holding a 2028 franchise tag option.
- A lower leg injury Aug. 10 — suffered while practicing one-on-one with receiver A.J. Brown — sidelined Gonzalez briefly, but he returned to practice Aug. 24 and made the trip to Seattle.
- Across 34 career regular-season games (all starts), Gonzalez has four interceptions, including a late AFC Championship Game pick against Denver and three passes defended in the Super Bowl LX loss to Seattle.
Why it matters: The Patriots locked in their All-Pro cornerback less than 48 hours before facing Seattle again, resolving the biggest offseason variable heading into a Super Bowl LX rematch. The $135M extension tops Witherspoon's $132M Seahawks deal — and because both players share agent Reggie Johnson, the next round of CB negotiations will play out against this freshly raised ceiling.
Ask SkimNews
