The Patriots are reportedly in at least the early stages of negotiations with cornerback Christian Gonzalez about a contract extension. And the longer they go without agreeing to a deal, the more potential there is for the deal to get more expensive.

For that reason, it’s not necessarily the Pats dragging their feet on this, but Gonzalez.

Based on the most recent public remarks from Patriots owner Robert Kraft at the NFL league meeting in Phoenix, his preference is to get the extension done with Gonzalez sooner rather than later. The weeks after the Super Bowl felt like a good time for the cornerback to cash in, as he was coming off the single-best game of his career, considering the stage and the opponent. But now that we’re into 2026, and Gonzalez has an opportunity to play a full season, why not shoot for an All-Pro campaign in a contract year? And why not wait and see what happens with Devon Witherspoon in Seattle before putting your signature on anything?

It’s understandable for Gonzalez and his camp to be patient, but regardless, it behooves the Patriots to make the deal sooner rather than later. Kraft knows that and admitted as much, when asked if he has a specific “philosophy” when it comes to handling bigger contracts, with decisions on the horizon for both Gonzalez and quarterback Drake Maye.

“Well, we always try — we have a salary cap, so we have a limit,” Kraft said. “So, we have to think what’s best for the team, in terms of timing of the signing, and of course, the earlier you do it, it’s believed it’s more economically satisfactory. But, we leave that to (head coach) Mike Vrabel, (executive vice president of player personnel) Eliot Wolf, and our people making the contract decisions. We’re lucky to have [Maye and Gonzalez] and I hope and believe they’ll be with us for the long-term.”

Maye isn’t really a decision. The two sides will find a way to get that done. There is not and should not be a “limit” with him. Expect Maye to end up under contract into the 2030s.

Gonzalez isn’t so cut-and-dry. He certainly deserves a lucrative contract, as he’s emerged as one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL. He’s elite at 1-on-1 man-to-man coverage, arguably the most important quality for a corner to have. But unlike a franchise quarterback, a franchise cornerback isn’t a lock to sign a second contract. As a first-round success out of the draft, which has become all too rare for the Patriots in recent years, this is a guy that should be rewarded and retained, for both him and for the sake of the program and culture Vrabel is building.

Complicating matters, however, is that Vrabel himself has only had one season to go by. He may want to see more before committing to the deal. And Wolf raised eyebrows at his most recent press conference when he noted that Gonzalez is “under contract,” hinting at a patient approach with the negotiations on the team’s side.

But Kraft’s desire is clear: he’d rather sign Gonzalez now than “risk” him becoming the best best corner in the league, and all of a sudden you’re talking about resetting the market, an AAV closer to $35 million than $30 million. Even right now, Gonzalez is worthy of a contract at least on par with that of the Broncos’ Patrick Surtain II ($24M average), realistically more. And there’s still the aforementioned specter of the Witherspoon extension.

Matt, a North Andover, Massachusetts native, has been with The Sports Hub since 2010. Growing up the son of Boston University All-American and Melrose High School hall-of-fame hockey player Steve Dolloff, sports was always a part of his life. After attending Northeastern University, Matt focused his love of sports on writing, extensively writing about all four major Boston teams. He also is a co-host of the Sports Hub Underground podcast and is a regular on-air contributor on the Sports Hub. Matt writes about all New England sports from Patriots football to Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins.