With the 2026 season opener only a few days away, New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez is still waiting for his contract to be negotiated as he prepares for the season.

Gonzalez hasn’t fully appreciated the waiting game either. But he didn’t want to face the media with the same gesture before Saturday’s practice, and he refused to answer any contract-related questions thoroughly.

“I’m focused on today,” Gonzalez said when asked whether he expects to play against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 if he still doesn’t have a new deal. “Right now, this practice in what, 30 minutes, 40 minutes, worried on that right now. So, we’ll focus on that.”

Before this, however, Gonzalez found his situation “frustrating” when Seattle awarded Devon Witherspoon a $132 million contract extension. Both have the same agent: Reggie Johnson. However, the Patriots don’t seem to be meeting Gonzalez where he wants them to.

The expectation was the Patriots would offer Gonzalez his own at-par contract right after Witherspoon got his. And, on Day 1 of training camp, Patriots owner Robert Kraft boldly claimed Gonzalez would be the highest-paid cornerback. But we have now crossed into September, and there is no contract in sight.

“It’s taking so much longer than I personally expected it to take,” Patriots beat reporter Doug Kyed told Ari Meirov. “I thought, all right, once Witherspoon’s deal is done, it’s pretty obvious what you need to give Christian Gonzalez. And the next step is just to give him that. And now it’s been weeks since Devon Witherspoon got his contract.”

Whether he suits up for the Seattle game is also still a mystery. He didn’t give the media a definitive yes, nor did he say no.

On Tuesday, the Patriots’ vice president of player personnel, Eliot Wolf, said that the team wants him because he’s an “elite player.” He also said Kraft’s claim is what they have been working toward, adding they hadn’t “set a deadline” when asked if a deal could be completed before the season opener. The impasse could also be because of Gonzalez protecting his future.

“In my estimation, what my understanding is, Christian Gonzalez does not want his contract to be obsolete within seven months,” Patriots insider Tom E. Curran said on Arbella Early Edition. “When the new league year comes and the salary cap goes from $301 [million] to $330 million, the first corner who comes up under that new cap is going to sign for $34 [million], $35 [million]. So what Christian Gonzalez would like is not to be treated as if he’s at the table in 2026, but be treated as if he’s at the table in 2027.”

Gonzalez is set to play for the Patriots for the next two years, as the Patriots have already activated his fifth-year option. He made the Pro Bowl last year and earned a second-team All-Pro nod the year prior. So far, he’s racked up 145 total tackles, one sack, 24 passes defended, and three interceptions.

Amid the growing tension, head coach Mike Vrabel also had a few words, addressing the situation.

“I think what’s important for me is to try to communicate, to try to explain to the players that we really wanna build around and have,” Vrabel said. “And I’ve done that with Gonzo. Everybody knows that. So, I don’t get involved in the negotiations per se, but I certainly wanna be involved in trying to get the situation resolved.”

Gonzalez reported for training camp, but was absent after he reportedly injured his ankle on August 10 in practice. He missed the joint practice with the Colts. He hadn’t been seen since injuring his ankle at the end of last Monday’s practice, missing a joint practice with the Colts, the preseason opener, and the following two practices. Fans suspected that he was staging a holdout, but their doubts were removed when Vrabel said Gonzalez returned to practice before the preseason finale.

The No. 17 overall pick, Gonzalez, but his focus remains on the Week 1 game against the Seahawks on Wednesday, September 9.