The New England Patriots are less than a week from their Super Bowl rematch with the Seattle Seahawks, and Mike Vrabel is still operating with the expectation that Christian Gonzalez will be available.
Vrabel was asked Thursday whether he expects Gonzalez to play in the Sept. 9 opener as the star cornerback’s contract negotiations continue to hang over New England.
“As the head coach, I expect every player who’s healthy and under contract to practice and play,” Vrabel said, according to Doug Kyed of the Boston Herald.
“As the head coach, I expect every player who’s healthy and under contract to practice and play.”
Went on to say that may change based on conversations with players.
Kyed added that Vrabel said the expectation can change based on conversations with players.
That qualifier keeps the door open for the situation to change before kickoff, though Vrabel’s answer places Gonzalez squarely in the group he expects to be on the field if he is healthy.
Vrabel Keeps Same Baseline for Gonzalez
Vrabel has stayed remarkably consistent when pressed on Gonzalez’s availability.
During a Monday appearance on WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show,” Vrabel said he expected Gonzalez to be with the team that day and added that he expects every healthy Patriots player to practice and play. He also said he did not have a new update on the negotiations, per Boston.com.
Thursday’s response sharpened the wording by including players who are “under contract.” Gonzalez remains under contract through 2027 after New England exercised his fifth-year option, so there is no contractual barrier preventing him from playing while talks continue.
The uncertainty comes from how Gonzalez and the Patriots plan to handle an extension that has stretched through training camp.
Gonzalez returned to practice Aug. 24 after missing two weeks and was a full participant. His longtime trainer, Christian “Coach Flight” White, then said Aug. 31 that he believed the sides were “getting close” and would not be surprised if a deal arrived before the opener, as Heavy reported on Sept. 1.
Nevertheless, no agreement has been announced, leaving Vrabel to answer availability questions as preparation for Seattle ramps up.
Patriots, Gonzalez Face Week 1 Pressure Point
The numbers behind the negotiation have changed during the summer.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in July that New England had offered Gonzalez a deal that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and amount to the largest contract in franchise history.
At the time, the top of the cornerback market sat around $31 million per year, via NFL.com.
Seattle later reset the standard when Devon Witherspoon signed a four-year, $132 million extension worth $33 million annually and containing more than $101 million guaranteed. Gonzalez and Witherspoon share an agent, adding another layer to negotiations between New England and one of its most important defenders.
White said the Patriots’ proposals had improved and suggested one version could be “slightly better” than Witherspoon’s deal in certain areas, though he acknowledged he did not know every detail of the contract structure or guarantees.
All of that now leads directly into Week 1.
The Patriots open the season at Seattle on Wednesday night in a rematch of Super Bowl LX, which the Seahawks won in February.
Vrabel’s message is straightforward. If Gonzalez is healthy and under contract, the head coach expects him to play.
The final part of his answer, however, leaves room for interpretation.
Patriots Announce Christian Gonzalez Status Ahead of Super Bowl Rematch