The New England Patriots have been in deep during the final stretch of August trying to resolve their most significant piece of unfinished business.
Patriots star Milton Williams doesn’t sound worried about how it will end.
Williams confidently predicted good news when asked about Christian Gonzalez’s ongoing contract talks, saying he expects the Patriots to lock up their Pro Bowl cornerback.
“It’s gonna happen. They just kind of talking through details. … They’re gonna want him on the team,” Williams said during an appearance on WEEI’s “Jones and Keefe”.
The comments arrive at a notable point in the negotiations.
Gonzalez acknowledged earlier this week that the process has become “frustrating,” while ESPN’s Adam Schefter reported Thursday that the two sides have not been particularly close on a new agreement.
Williams, however, sounded far more optimistic from inside the locker room.
Williams Expects Patriots to Keep Gonzalez
Williams has some firsthand understanding of how aggressively New England will spend on a defensive centerpiece.
The Patriots signed him to a four-year, $104 million contract in March 2025, a deal that included $51 million fully guaranteed at signing.
Gonzalez is now trying to secure his own long-term payday after instituting himself as one of the NFL’s top cornerbacks. The Patriots exercised his fifth-year option, keeping him under team control through 2027, but both sides have spent the summer discussing an extension.
The market moved again in August when Devon Witherspoon signed a four-year, $132 million extension with the Seattle Seahawks. Witherspoon and Gonzalez share an agent, and Schefter said on “The Pat McAfee Show” that the Patriots have not reached that $33 million-per-year neighborhood in their talks with Gonzalez.
That report created a stark contrast with the public hopefulness coming from New England.
Executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said Tuesday that the Patriots were continuing to make “momentum” in negotiations. Gonzalez, meanwhile, told reporters his representatives have made his position clear and said the team knows what he believes he is worth, according to The Boston Globe.
Williams appears convinced the gap will eventually be closed.
Gonzalez Has Left Week 1 Status Unresolved
The bigger worry for New England is what happens if there’s still no agreement when the regular season begins.
Gonzalez returned to practice Monday after a two-week absence related to an injury, but he declined to commit to playing Week 1 when reporters asked whether he would take the field without a new contract.
The Patriots open the season Sept. 9 on the road against Seattle in a rematch of Super Bowl LX. Losing Gonzalez for that matchup would remove New England’s best cover corner from a defense preparing for the defending Super Bowl champions.
Williams acknowledged that possibility while making it known he supports Gonzalez protecting his own interests.
“He got to look out for himself, but if he’s not out there, we’re gonna miss him,” Williams said on WEEI.
Players understandably want Gonzalez beside them when the season starts, but Williams also recognizes why the 24-year-old cornerback is pressing for long-term security while his value is near its peak.
At the moment, the negotiations are unresolved, as Schefter indicated there could be another push to complete a deal before the season. On the Patriots side, Wolf has declined to treat Week 1 as a hard deadline.
Williams feels the ending is apparent.
The question is whether the Patriots can get there before Gonzalez has to decide if he is willing to play without it.
Patriots’ $104 Million Star Confident About Christian Gonzalez Contract Resolution