Overview
- ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the Patriots and Christian Gonzalez "haven't been close" to an extension and that New England has not offered terms in the Witherspoon range.
- Patriots owner Robert Kraft has said the team made a market‑topping offer and executive Eliot Wolf says the club is continuing to work with Gonzalez’s reps to reach a long‑term deal.
- Gonzalez has voiced frustration about the pace of talks but has practiced and the team exercised his fifth‑year option, keeping him under team control through the 2027 season.
- Devon Witherspoon’s four‑year, $132 million contract reset the top cornerback benchmark and shifted bargaining to higher up‑front guarantees and contract structure rather than headline average annual value.
- With Week 1 approaching there may be one more push to agree a deal, otherwise the Patriots can defer talks to 2027 or consider trade discussions that would demand large draft compensation and a buyer willing to meet Gonzalez’s guarantee demands.