Christian Gonzalez is frustrated, and honestly, who can blame him? The Patriots star cornerback still doesn’t have a contract extension, and it all boils down to the massive deal our very own Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon recently inked. Gonzalez admitted he’s frustrated, and reports from ESPN’s Adam Schefter make it clear why: the Patriots and Gonzalez “haven’t been close” on a contract.
The Witherspoon Benchmark Has ‘Em Stalling
This is where it gets spicy for us in the Emerald City. Our guy, Devon Witherspoon, signed a monster four-year, $132 million extension that included $59 million in full guarantees and $101 million in total guarantees. That’s an average of $33 million a year, and Schefter said that deal “established the benchmark.” Here’s the kicker: the Patriots “haven’t gone there.” They weren’t in that category before Witherspoon’s deal, and they’re “off on the two sides of money” right now. It’s been nearly two weeks since Witherspoon, who shares an agent with Gonzalez, got his bag, and it’s obvious his payday has thrown a wrench into Gonzalez’s negotiations. Schefter even speculated that Patriots coach Mike Vrabel might prioritize defensive linemen and getting pressure over cornerbacks when it comes to shelling out premium money. Vrabel “loves corners, of course,” and knows Gonzalez is great, but if he’s going to pay players big bucks, that focus on the D-line might be why they’re so far apart.
Highest Paid? It “Depends How You Put It”
The Patriots have been trying to manage expectations, with executive vice president Eliot Wolf reiterating comments from owner Robert Kraft that their current offer would still make Gonzalez the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback. But Gonzalez, who wisely wants to keep negotiations out of the media, had a telling response when asked if that meant highest-paid in “every metric.” He fired back, “There’s certain things that go into a contract that my team knows what we want. It kind of depends how you put it.” That’s classic player-speak for “read between the lines, they’re not hitting our numbers where it counts.” The team might be adamant they want a deal done, but they’re clearly not speaking the same language as Gonzalez and his camp when it comes to those critical guarantee numbers.
This whole contract saga is a huge deal, and it’s about to collide with the Seahawks’ schedule. The Patriots wrap up their preseason on Thursday in Cleveland, but their attention quickly turns to Week 1. They’re slated to face Witherspoon’s Seahawks on September 9. Schefter thinks there will be another big push from both sides to get a deal done before or at the start of the season. If not, the options range from waiting until next offseason to, get this, potentially listening to trade offers. You can bet our Hawks will be watching this drama unfold closely as they prepare to square off against a potentially unhappy star cornerback right out of the gate. This Week 1 opener against the Patriots just got a whole lot more interesting!
This article was created with AI assistance and published under Seattle On Tap’s editorial standards. See our Editorial Policy.
Originally reported by Pats Pulpit.
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