Patriots owner Robert Kraft is ready to put his money where his mouth is
Kraft said on Saturday that New England has offered Christian Gonzalez a contract that would reset the market at cornerback
“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said,at’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL. And coincidentally, it’s the highest contract in the Patriots franchise history. We’re glad we drafted him and he’s developed here, and we hope he’ll be with us for a long time.”
Trent McDuffie is currently the league’s highest-paid cornerback, having signed a four-year, $124 million pact with the Rams after Los Angeles traded for him
That would mean the deal the two sides are working on exceeds $31 million in average annual salary
Gonzalez, the No. 17 overall pick of the 2023 draft, is under contract for another two years after the Pats exercised his fifth-year rookie option this offseason, but both he and New England are interested in making a longer-term commitment
The Pro Bowler said as much following the season, his first as a Pro Bowler for a Patriots team that thwarted all expectations to reach the Super Bowl
Gonzalez has also taken all the right steps to keep his preparation for the 2026 season on schedule. The young superstar reported to training camp Friday, and on Saturday fully participated in practice, per local reporters
It seems it’s only a matter of time before Gonzalez sets a new contractual bar for corners — and other Patriots — to aim for
