There were not all that many New England Patriots highlights from the team’s Super Bowl 60 performance against the Seattle Seahawks earlier this month but one of the few standout players was cornerback Christian Gonzalez, whose deft plays in knocking away passes from Seattle quarterback Sam Darnold seemed to keep the Patriots within a shoestring from being blown out, at least until the fourth quarter.

It was good timing for Gonzalez, who excelled throughout the NFL playoffs, including the game-sealing interception to help beat the Broncos in the snowy AFC Championship game in Denver. That’s because Gonzalez–one of the best first-round picks of the Bill Belichick era–is coming into the 2026 offseason eligible to sign a major new contract to keep him in New England.

In fact, depending on the timing and structure of the deal (especially as it related to fellow 2023 first-round pick Devon Witherspoon), Gonzalez could set a new record for cornerbacks when it comes to average annual salary.

Patriots Not Yet Addressing Extension

But as of now, the Patriots appear willing to put Gonzalez’s extension talks on hold as they address other issues.

Eliot Wolf, the Patriots’ VP of player personnel, said on Tuesday at the NFL draft combine that the team has yet to tackle an extension with Gonzalez.

“Christian, obviously was good before, and made an even more significant jump this year. And he’s someone that we want to work with in the future, obviously. We’ll have those conversations at the appropriate time,” Wolf said, via Patriots reporter Phil Perry of NBC Sports Boston.

There is no hurry on an extension, because Gonzalez is firmly under contract in 2026 and not going anywhere. It’s not as if he is walking into free agency next month.

However, it could be argued that the time to have those conversations is now. If the Patriots wait until after Witherspoon sets the market with his new deal from the Seahawks, then that will only drive up the price on Gonzalez.

Christian Gonzalez to Get $121 Million?

It’s hard to say what the price for the Patriots will be, exactly, on Gonzalez. The top current contract on the books for a cornerback is the $30.1 million for Sauce Gardner, who signed with the Jets but was traded to the Colts this season.

The Spotrac market value model puts Gonzalez at $27 million per year, or a three-year, $81 million contract. That’s obviously close to what Gonzalez will get, but is likely undervalued. Chances are both he and Witherspoon will seek to reset the market.

Bleacher Report noted this week that Gonzalez is more likely to get four years and $121 million, a record deal.

“(Gonzalez) was taken in the first round of the 2023 draft, 12 spots after Seahawks standout corner Devon Witherspoon,” the site wrote.

“There’s a non-zero chance that whichever franchise signs its cornerback first will get the more “team-friendly” deal. That’s how things played out with cornerbacks Derek Stingley Jr. and Sauce Gardner, who were the third and fourth overall picks, respectively, in the 2022 draft.”