Patriots, CB Christian Gonzalez agree to four-year extension

The Patriots and cornerback Christian Gonzalez have agreed to terms on a four-year, $135 million extension, sources told ESPN's Jeremy Fowler late Monday night. The deal includes $102 million guaranteed.

The extension makes Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history, passing the four-year, $132 million extension Devon Witherspoon agreed to with the Seahawks last month, which included more than $101 million guaranteed. Both players share the same agent, Reggie Johnson.

The agreement comes 48 hours shy of Wednesday's regular-season opener, a Super Bowl LX rematch against the Seahawks in Seattle. Gonzalez, the No. 17 pick in the 2023 NFL draft who has been both an All-Pro and Pro Bowler, was eligible for an extension for the first time this offseason.

Gonzalez had been a full participant in training camp until he suffered a lower leg injury Aug. 10 while practicing 1-on-1 with receiver A.J. Brown. He returned to practice Aug. 24, made the trip to Seattle for Wednesday's game, and talks intensified Monday night before the deal was reached.

Contract talks had lingered for months, with Gonzalez expressing frustration Aug. 25 that the situation remained unresolved. At the start of training camp, owner Robert Kraft said the team had offered Gonzalez a deal that would make him the NFL's highest-paid cornerback, though Gonzalez later said there are different ways to measure that.

Gonzalez was under contract for two more seasons, scheduled to earn $2.259 million in 2026 and $18.11 million in 2027, and the Patriots also could have assigned him the franchise tag in 2028. Coach Mike Vrabel and executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf both said multiple times they hoped to retain him.