The Seattle Seahawks may be preparing to move the cornerback market again.
New England Patriots head coach Mike Vrabel doesn’t believe that gives them a seat at the negotiating table.
Vrabel addressed the connection between Christian Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon as Gonzalez and other Patriots veterans reported for training camp Friday.
“I don’t think those things — you know, again — I don’t think they have anything to do with one another,” Vrabel said during his Friday press conference. “We’re not negotiating with the Seahawks. We’re negotiating with Christian’s representatives.”
The answer separated the two teams’ processes, even as the financial connection between the players has become difficult to ignore.
Both cornerbacks entered the NFL in 2023, share representation and are eligible for extensions that could make either one the league’s highest-paid player at the position.
Vrabel Separates Patriots From Seahawks
GettySAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – FEBRUARY 02: Head coaches Mike Vrabel of the New England Patriots and Mike MacDonald of the Seattle Seahawks look on during Super Bowl LX Opening Night at San Jose McEnery Convention Center on February 02, 2026 in San Jose, California. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport reported this week that the Seattle Seahawks were working toward an extension worth roughly $32 million per year for Witherspoon.
Such an agreement would move him ahead of Trent McDuffie, whose $31 million average currently stands at the top of the cornerback market.
Rapoport added that Gonzalez is paying attention to Witherspoon’s negotiations and noted that the two cornerbacks have the same representation.
Witherspoon was the No. 5 pick in the 2023 NFL draft, while the New England Patriots selected Gonzalez at No. 17.
That shared timeline created a natural belief that one deal could unlock the other.
The player who signs second would have a fresh benchmark and an opportunity to move the market again.
The Patriots have already exercised Gonzalez’s fifth-year option, which is worth a fully guaranteed $18.199 million for 2027. Seattle also picked up Witherspoon’s option, keeping both cornerbacks under team control for two more seasons.
That security removes an immediate deadline, although it doesn’t reduce the attention surrounding Gonzalez as training camp opens.
Gonzalez Has Built Case for Long-Term Deal
Gonzalez’s performance has made the contract question unavoidable.
He earned second-team All-Pro honors in 2024, then made his first Pro Bowl following the 2025 season.
Gonzalez started 14 regular-season games last year, recording 68 tackles and 10 passes defensed before helping the New England Patriots reach Super Bowl LX.
His postseason included a sack and game-sealing interception in the AFC championship game against the Denver Broncos. The play secured New England’s return to the Super Bowl and strengthened Gonzalez’s standing as one of the franchise’s foundational players.
Vrabel has remained careful when discussing the business side of the situation.
During organized team activities in June, he said contracts should remain private and described the goal as reaching an agreement in which both sides feel they received value.
Friday’s comments followed the same approach.
Vrabel didn’t offer a timetable, disclose progress or predict whether Gonzalez would sign before the regular season.
The Seahawks’ agreement with Witherspoon could still influence the numbers.
Comparable contracts always shape negotiations, especially when two players share an agent and entered the league in the same draft.
Vrabel’s message was that influence should not be confused with control.
The Patriots will negotiate their deal with Gonzalez’s camp, and they will own the result.
Patriots’ Mike Vrabel Pushes Back on Christian Gonzalez Contract Theory