Christian Gonzalez Didn't 'Love' Kraft's Public Remark on Contract Talks, New Patriots Rumors Reveal

Christian Gonzalez's contract situation with the New England Patriots is in the spotlight after the Seattle Seahawks made Devon Witherspoon the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history with a four-year, $132 million deal on Saturday, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.

With that as the backdrop, ESPN's Jeremy Fowler reported on Sunday's SportsCenter that the Patriots cornerback isn't pleased with New England owner Robert Kraft's public approach to the negotiations.

"You've got Witherspoon as $33 million a year, Gonzalez is going to need to top that; that's the play," Fowler reported. "So, you're looking at probably closer to $35 million per year on a new deal to get this done. That's sort of the benchmark for a lot of the star non-quarterbacks, regardless of position. They're getting that kind of money or above, and Gonzalez is one of the very best cover corners in the league. Witherspoon, there was optimism throughout. 

"With the Patriots and Gonzalez, not as much optimism, hasn't been as smooth as a negotiation. Robert Kraft, the owner, had said publicly, 'Hey, we offered him to make him the highest-paid corner in the league; he didn't take it.' I don't sense Gonzalez loved that all that much. So, there's been some back and forth. At least the Witherspoon deal creates some urgency where they can now get this done; they have a benchmark to top."

Gonzalez has one more season on his deal before an $18.1 million club option for the 2027 campaign. While that still leaves time before unrestricted free agency, the looming club option brings his long-term future into focus.

After Witherspoon's deal, Schefter reported Gonzalez and the Patriots "have not made much progress so far."

From Kraft's perspective, that lack of progress has not been for a lack of trying.

"We love Christian Gonzalez," Kraft told reporters last month. "We love him as a player, as a person, and that's why we've made an offer to him to make him the highest-paid player to ever play that position in the NFL. And coincidentally, it is the highest contract in Patriots franchise history. So we're glad we drafted him, he's developed here, and we hope he'll be with us for a long time."

However, things have changed since that public comment.

Witherspoon reset the market but only after the Cleveland Browns and Denzel Ward previously did by agreeing to a two-year, $62.2 million extension that made him the highest-paid defensive back in NFL history prior to Seattle's latest move.

Considering Gonzalez's standing as one of the best cornerbacks in the league and those developments, he surely wants to be the latest one to reset the market even if Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel told reporters he didn't believe Seattle's situation should impact New England's.

"I don't think they have anything to do with one another. We're not negotiating with the Seahawks. We're negotiating with Christian's representatives," he said. "I don't think that there's anything different than just our communication with him."

There have been multiple public comments from the team's side with the negotiations looming, but it would be quite a blow to New England's secondary to not have the star cornerback on the field. 

After all, Gonzalez was a Pro Bowler last season who finished with 69 tackles, 10 passes defended and an interception in the AFC Championship Game win over the Denver Broncos. Even in defeat against Seattle in the Super Bowl, he helped hold Jaxon Smith-Njigba to just four catches for 27 yards.

That is the type of difference-maker New England needs in its secondary, even if the negotiations are generating headlines in the offseason.