Patriots have already offered Christian Gonzalez a record contract, owner Robert Kraft says

Sport admin July 25, 2026 0 Comments

Patriots have already offered Christian Gonzalez a record contract, owner Robert Kraft says

FOXBOROUGH — As Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez awaits a potentially record-setting contract extension, owner Robert Kraft said the team has already made an offer to make Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.

“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said Saturday at Gillette Stadium. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL. Coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in Patriots franchise history.”

Gonzalez, New England’s first-round draft pick in 2023, became eligible for an extension this offseason. He did not participate in the voluntary portion of the spring, before reporting for mandatory minicamp and practicing in a limited capacity.

Coach Mike Vrabel said Friday that negotiations are ongoing, but the two parties have yet to reach an agreement. If what Kraft said is true, then Gonzalez is set to be paid more than $31 million annually. The current highest-paid cornerback is Trent McDuffie, who signed a record-setting four-year, $124 million extension in March.

Gonzalez will receive a considerable and deserved pay bump with his new deal. His salary cap number is only $4.8 million for the 2026 season and $18.1 million for 2027.

“We’re glad we drafted him,” Kraft said. “He was developed here. We hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”

Asked if he is optimistic a deal will get done soon, Kraft declined to answer. He turned his attention to the second annual “Pawtriots” event, which found new families for dozens of adoptable dogs from multiple organizations across New England.

“We’re here to talk about the ‘Pawtriots,’” Kraft said. “I’m glad that 50 dogs, who were homeless, are going to have a nice home after this.”