Last week, the New England Patriots added wide receiver A.J. Brown in a blockbuster deal with the Philadelphia Eagles. This was one of the biggest trades that happened in the offseason, and has put the Patriots in the contenders list for the Super Bowl. While Brown’s addition strengthens their offense, they also need to figure out the Christian Gonzalez situation, as he is one of the main defensive players for them. The player is in the final year of his contract, and is touted for a big extension, but there are doubts if the Patriots will give him a deal he is looking for.

“Even if he gets that extension, his future is not guaranteed here, because the Krafts are going to have to do something that they just have not done: paid three premium players at the top of the market prices for long-term deals,” said Andrew Callahan on Patriots Press Pass on CLNS Media, via YouTube.

The Patriots acquired Gonzalez during the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Since then, he has been one of the top players for the Patriots, starting all 34 games he’s ever played. To date, he has recorded 145 tackles, 24 pass deflections, and three interceptions, and earned an All-Pro and Pro Bowl selection.

He is currently on his rookie deal, which is worth $15.1 million. Gonzalez carries a $4.8 million cap hit for the 2026 season and is set to become a free agent after 2027, as the team exercised his fifth-year option. However, the cornerback is seeking a new contract from the Patriots. He did not attend the voluntary Organized Team Activities (OTAs) earlier in the offseason, but attended the team’s mandatory minicamp to avoid penalties.

The problem with Gonzales’ situation in New England is that there are a few other players as well on the Patriots who will be signing extensions soon. Meanwhile, by bringing in Brown, they have also inherited his remaining $113 million for four years. Over the next two years, they will need to pay him $33 million in guaranteed money.

Brown signed a four-year contract worth $100 million with the Eagles in 2022, which would see him hit free agency after the 2026 season. But following his excellent performance, they offered him a three-year $96 million extension in 2024. So, the Patriots inherited all that, with Brown playing for them until the end of the 2029 season.

Now with Brown already on the books, paying Gonzales, who is expected to earn at least $30-$35 million on his new deal, according to USA Today, is going to be tough. That would put the Patriots in a cap space situation, which is going to be difficult to navigate because, at some point, they might need to extend a few of their other players as well.

One among them is Drake Maye, who has only two years left on his rookie contract. His rookie contract is valued at $36 million, and considering he led his team to a Super Bowl, earned two Pro Bowls, and an All-Pro selection at just 23, there is hardly any doubt that the Patriots will try to keep him in New England for more years. Considering all that he has achieved, his contract value is expected to be high.

Vrabel knows that having a player like Gonzalez is important if they want to go back to the Super Bowl, which is why he may get an extension within the next 12 months. However, the valuation is going to be a problem, especially with Brown on the roster and a deal for Maye, which will not kick in next season, but sometime in the future. Having three players on the roster with expensive contracts is not ideal, especially for the Patriots, who have traditionally asked their stars to take a pay cut for better team construction.

NFL GM believes Christian Gonzalez will sign with the New England Patriots

Despite attending the OTAs, Gonzalez kept his sessions minimal, doing only individual drills and walkthroughs. He did not do any team drills to ensure that he did not sustain any injuries during the negotiations. The CB has stated that he wants to extend his stay in New England. Even NFL Insider J.L. Canfora also believes that the Patriots will likely give him an extension soon. As per SportsBoom, an anonymous NFL GM mentioned that the extension will happen before the start of the regular season.

“That one gets done before the season,” the anonymous NFL GM told SportsBoom.us. “He’ll get paid.”

Brown’s contract will definitely see some restructuring if the Patriots are to build around him and Maye. Without that happening, it will be tough to extend Gonzalez as well. Lastly, giving him an extension would mean paying a big sum to multiple players at once, something that Kraft has never done.

After buying the New England Patriots in 1994, Robert Kraft has seen his team win six Super Bowls, while reaching a few more. However, in three decade being the owner of the Patriots, he has hesitated to offer big deals to players. But with the current scenario, it seems that tradition will soon become a part of history.

There have been previous examples of the Patriots failing to offer massive contracts to their players. In 2010, guard Logan Mankins wanted a long-term contract. However, the Patriots were only willing to offer a free-agent tender. Despite being one of the premier guards in the league, the tender guaranteed him only $3.26 million. He felt betrayed playing as an undervalued restricted free-agent tender.

“Right now, this is about principle with me and keeping your word and how you treat people,” said Logan Mankins. “This is what I thought the foundation of the Patriots was built on. Apparently, I was wrong.”

A similar thing happened with wide receiver Wes Welker when the Patriots offered him a $10 million contract. According to his agents, it was a ‘take-it or leave-it’ contract. There was no room for negotiation. As a result, the WR left the Patriots and joined the Denver Broncos for a similar valuation contract. So, Robert Kraft has a history of contract disputes when it comes to players seeking big deals.

But with an inflated market and a contending roster, it was only a matter of time until he broke the tradition. Whether that definitely happens with Gonzalez is something that we will have to wait and see, but if it is important and even Vrabel backs him, Kraft might give Gonzalez the deal he is looking for.