NFL Insider Jason La Canfora on Christian Gonzalez and New England; can they extend Drake Maye next?

It was only a matter of time before Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez joined the ranks of the most highly compensated defensive backs in the NFL. New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft finally bit the bullet and paid his man. (Image: Boston Herald) The only surprise was that it took quite this long. He and the Patriots agreed to a four-year deal, according to league sources, that includes over $100M in guarantees. A New Deal on the Eve of a New Season Gonzalez, arguably the team’s best player in the postseason on its run to the Super Bowl last season, agreed to the new deal just on the cusp of New England opening Week 1 in a rematch with Seattle from that final game in which Gonzalez once again displayed his elite downfield coverage ability against one of the better big-play offenses in the league. Gonzalez did not do much on the field with the Patriots this summer in what amounted to a hold-in, not risking injury while he awaited a new record contract. This has been a trying offseason for the upstart team, with head coach Mike Vrabel under scrutiny for an off-field scandal and many executives around the league questioning this roster and whether it is good enough to duplicate last season. Slashing the Payroll Owner Robert Kraft had slashed payroll considerably as his dynasty with coach Bill Belichick and Tom Brady wound down, and the roster was short on emerging young stars who needed new long-term deals. Gonzalez was at the top of that list, and some general managers anticipated this deal being done in a more judicious manner. Gonzalez has the size and speed and ball skills to take games over, and eliminate top receivers, and that truly played out in the playoffs, when the industry believed his level of performance had guaranteed a level of compensation from the Patriots. That finally came to pass a day before the opened the 2026 NFL season. Gonzalez, 24, was the team’s first round pick in 2023. New England’s next challenge will be extending MVP runner-up QB Drake Maye, who becomes eligible for a new contract after this upcoming season. The post NFL Insider Jason La Canfora on Christian Gonzalez and New England; can they extend Drake Maye next? appeared first on Casino.org.