The New England Patriots made sure Christian Gonzalez didn’t wait long to get paid.
Just after midnight on the East Coast, the Patriots and their star cornerback reached an agreement on a four-year extension that makes Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL. The deal is worth $135 million, with $102 million guaranteed.
That average of $33.75 million per year nudges him past Devon Witherspoon, who earlier this offseason landed a deal worth $33 million annually. For a player who has quickly grown into one of the league’s premier corners, it’s the kind of contract that matches the way he’s been playing.
Gonzalez has been a major force for New England, especially in the postseason and Super Bowl. He shut down Jaxson Smith-Njigba, who had a historic season for the Seahawks, and in the playoffs he added an interception, a forced and recovered fumble, and a sack. That kind of all-around impact made it hard to imagine the Patriots letting the situation drift into a holdout, even after negotiations reportedly soured.
Instead, the sides got a deal done with less than 48 hours left before the season opener, ending any concern about Gonzalez missing time. For New England, it means one of its top defensive pieces is locked in and available as the season begins.
The extension also adds another bright line to Gonzalez’s path from Oregon to the NFL. After transferring from Colorado to Eugene in the portal, he developed under Dan Lanning and turned himself into a success story the Ducks can point to on the recruiting trail. Now Oregon can also claim something bigger: it has produced the highest-paid defensive back in the league.
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