The New England Patriots and All-Pro Christian Gonzalez have agreed to a four-year, $135 million contract extension with $102 million in guarantees, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz on Monday night. The deal comes less than 48 hours before the start of the 2026 NFL season.
Three weeks ago, the Seattle Seahawks and Devon Witherspoon agreed to a four-year, $132 million extension with $101 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in football. It was only a matter of time before the Patriots and Gonzalez followed suit and topped that figure. Despite some concern that a deal wouldn’t get done before the season opener, the two sides have now come to an agreement.
The extension arrives over a month after Patriots owner Robert Kraft told media the team had offered Gonzalez a cornerback-record deal. Gonzalez held off on signing that offer, with the assumption being he was waiting out Witherspoon, who was also in line for a mega-deal at the time.
Both players have become bona fide stars at the position since being taken in the 2023 NFL Draft. Witherspoon was selected fifth overall, while Gonzalez came off the board at pick 17. Gonzalez missed most of his rookie season through injury but has since earned a Pro Bowl nod and second-team All-Pro honors in 2024. Witherspoon has been named a Pro Bowler in each of his three seasons and earned second-team All-Pro honors a year ago.
Witherspoon’s tenure as the league’s highest-paid cornerback was short-lived, but with the All-Pro cemented in Seattle for the foreseeable future, that reality suits the Seahawks just fine. Any thought of Gonzalez holding out of the Seahawks game can also be put to rest. The two most expensive corners in the NFL will both be on the field come Sept. 9.
Gonzalez Overtakes Witherspoon as NFL’s Highest-Paid Cornerback