There is no shortage of reporting on Christian Gonzalez. The star is locked in a contract negotiation with the New England Patriots for an extension that he would like to see make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.
Reports, seemingly, differ on just how close Gonzalez and the Patriots are right now. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that it looks like the Patriots and Gonzalez are at an impasse. At the same time, Patriots owner Robert Kraft previously said that the team made an offer to make him the highest-paid corner, but other reports indicate language in that deal made it less appealing.
New England Patriots Insider Explains Reporting on Christian Gonzalez, Contract
When there are this many reports on the contract negotiation, it’s hard for fans to know what to trust. That’s become the case as it relates to the rumors around Christian Gonzalez and the New England Patriots.
Naturally, when ESPN’s Patriots insider Mike Reiss appeared on Zolak and Bertrand a week before the season is set to begin, the topic of Gonzalez came up. Reiss looked to cool down some tensions fans might be having about the negotiations. In particular, he explained what the reporting of rumors really means, where the specific language being used is key.
“The timeliness of when you receive the information matters,” Reiss said. “Because a week ago or two weeks ago, I might have said, ‘They’re talking, but there’s not much movement.’ I feel like recently there’s been movement in the right direction. And so, I’m not saying that anything that’s out there today is necessarily wrong. It’s just, my follow-up would be, ‘When did the information come to you?’”
Importantly, Reiss noted that from what he’s hearing, things are going in the right direction. In fact, there is momentum building as the two sides are on the same page.
“I feel like recently there’s been movement in the right direction…they’re still talking,” Reiss said.
What Reiss didn’t make clear was if that deal was going to get done before the start of the regular season. Time is running out to get that done, but both sides would prefer to get there before things change.
Rodney Harrison Sent the Patriots a Warning Over Christian Gonzalez
One defensive back who knows how the Patriots have operated is Rodney Harrison. He landed with New England on a six-year deal ahead of the 2023 season, and while with the Patriots, Harrison would win two Super Bowls as part of the team’s initial dynastic run. He’s now in the team’s Hall of Fame.
Harrison, like everyone else, is looking closely at the Christian Gonzalez contract negotiations. He doesn’t like what he sees. In fact, he recently warned the Patriots that they need to get this deal done before the season.
“We take care of our own guys,” Harrison said. He’d later go on to add, “The last thing you want is a negative mark like that.”
Despite those concerns, Harrison did remain confident overall that they’re going to get the deal done in the next week or so. That would be ideal, as it would keep him from needing to play on an old deal, risking injury.
Patriots Insider Explains What Christian Gonzalez Contract Reports Really Mean