Christian Gonzalez and Robert Kraft’s negotiation is not the first the veteran owner has worked through. It also won’t be the last. However, as the New England Patriots open camp, it is the most public. On Saturday, Gonzalez sat on one side, while Kraft sat on the other with a sea of reporters.
Via ESPN reporter Mike Reiss in a post on X, Kraft was complimentary of his star cornerback. He was equally complimentary of the record-setting deal his organization offered the cornerback. However, he didn’t give any numbers in the posted video clip.
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“We love Christian Gonzalez,” Kraft said. “We love him as a player, as a person. That’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.”
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Fans reacted to the clip with cynicism, noting that an offer without public details and no signature is reason for concern. One fan compared the situation to Jerry Jones and Micah Parsons’ public negotiation before Jones traded Parsons to the Packers last year.
“This sounds like what happened last year between Jerry Jones and Micah Parsons. Not a great sign,” one posted.
“Wait if its the highest what’s the hold up?” another asked.
“Negotiations through the media is never a good sign, ‘it’s not us it’s him.'” one responded.
More fans asked why the offer was collecting dust instead of ink.
“So why hasn’t he signed?” one asked.
“I personally feel like this should be kept private until negotiations are done with,” another replied.
“If the offer is so good why didn’t he sign it yet?” another asked.
Gonzalez posted a career-high number of tackles in 2025, his third season in the NFL. It was his second consecutive season with at least 50 tackles. In terms of availability, Gonzalez has been nearly perfect over the past two seasons with only three total missed games.
Christian Gonzalez’s contract details set stage for monumental raise
Christian Gonzalez doesn’t appear to be in any rush to get a deal done as the cornerback remains on his rookie deal.
However, based on Kraft’s statement, the floor for Gonzalez’s raise is set to be impressive. Per Spotrac, Gonzalez is currently playing under a $15 million deal with an average yearly salary of $3.7 million.
If the deal lives up to Kraft’s statement, the offer sitting on Gonzalez’s metaphorical desk is set to be more than the highest-paid cornerback, new Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie. McDuffie is set to earn $124 million on his new deal with an average annual salary of $31 million.
As such, if the final deal lands anywhere near that number, Gonzalez will see his prospects grow substantially.
Will Gonzalez’s new deal be signed by the time the preseason kicks into high gear in August?
Edited by Ian Van Roy