The New England Patriots have plenty of young talent, and at the top of that list is Christian Gonzalez, arguably the best young cornerback in the NFL.
Gonzalez has been as good as it gets on that side of the football for the Patriots after being drafted in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Unfortunately, an injury ruined his rookie campaign, appearing in just four games.
However, in his second season in 2024, Gonzalez was better than ever, finishing as a second-team All-Pro and finishing in the top five in the Comeback Player of the Year Award.
He’s still on his rookie contract, but over the next year, the Patriots will have to consider what they want to do with his future deal. Tyler Sullivan of CBS Sports believes that it could be expensive, adding that he has a chance to reset the market when it happens.
“Gonzalez will be eligible for a long-term extension after the 2025 season, and he’s another player who could reset the defensive back market the moment he inks his deal. Gonzalez, who was the 17th overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, has quickly emerged as one of the league’s top corners and is coming off a second-team All-Pro season in 2024. If he maintains that level of play or exceeds it in 2025, New England, which spent loads of money bringing in free agents this offseason, will have to use a bulk of its capital to retain Gonzalez for the long term,” he wrote.
Gonzalez is the type of player who warrants paying that type of money.
If he resets the market, the Patriots can’t be too worried. They need him to man their secondary for the next decade, and he looks capable of doing that.
