New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez was expected to score a long-term extension once Seattle’s Devon Witherspoon set the market. But Witherspoon got paid, and Gonzalez is still waiting. Former Patriots defensive back Devin McCourty is sounding the alarm on the delay, pointing out that the contract drama is already bleeding onto the field after a shaky preseason performance from New England’s secondary.

“I think the team got a look of what it looked like in practice against the Eagles with no Christian Gonzalez out there,” McCourty, who won three Super Bowls with the Patriots, said on the Chris Simms Unbuttoned podcast. “Then you saw again last night. What it looked like without Gonzalez out there and what the other corners look like against not even Cleveland starter, so they have to get his deal done. Like, it’s a must.”

The Patriots are 1-1-1 this preseason, and even though these games are just a test of who makes it to the 53-man roster, it said a lot about their secondary. And it all happened when Gonzalez was sidelined for two weeks since August 10 with an undisclosed minor injury.

In the last preseason game against the Cleveland Browns, not only did the Patriots lose 37-13, but they lost it to backup quarterback Dillon Gabriel and company.

Head coach Mike Vrabel admitted the defense was not “good enough” and “couldn’t match the speed of the quarterback.” All the backups, Marcellas Dial, Kindle Vildor, Kobee Minor, and Charles Woods, did not perform well during the game. Dial and Vildor had just two tackles, Minor had just one, and only Woods had 10.

Of course, those backups aren’t expected to start. The lineup is the same as last year, at least for now: Gonzalez, Carlton Davis, and Marcus Jones, each of whom racked up 65 or more tackles for the team.

However, for Gonzalez, the contract negotiations are turning frustrating. The 24-year-old cornerback has returned to full practice, and there is still no sign of a long-term deal that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in the league.

“It’s frustrating,” the cornerback said on  August 25. “I’m focused on the season. I’m focused on here now and doing what I got to do, and I’m out here to compete and get better.”

Gonzalez, who shares an agent with Witherspoon, Reggie Johnson, was expecting the deal to be done during the offseason. Reports indicated that Witherspoon’s deal would set the market benchmark first. Witherspoon got his payday, but Gonzalez’s camp is still waiting on New England to follow suit.

Witherspoon signed a four-year, $132 million contract with the Seattle Seahawks, with an average annual salary of $33 million and around $101 million in guaranteed money, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

However, two weeks have gone by since then, and there is no sign of Gonzalez joining that list. The Patriots exercised the fifth-year option in April. Currently, Gonzalez is playing on his four-year rookie deal and will earn $2.3 million in 2026 and $18.1 million in 2027 because of the fifth-year option.

Patriots owner Robert Kraft and the front office have time and again clarified that Gonzalez remains a part of their plan, and they are more than willing to give him a deal that would make him the “highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL.”

However, reports suggest that the team has not offered any amount that is even close to what Witherspoon set as a benchmark. According to ESPN senior NFL insider Adam Schefter, the two sides will make another push to come to terms before the season begins or at the start of the season.

New England travels to Lumen Field on September 9 to kick off their regular season against the Seahawks.