Christian Gonzalez's next Patriots deal just got much easier to predict

There are a lot of storylines surrounding the Patriots as the team returns to Foxboro for training camp this week, and perhaps the biggest one of all involves their superstar cornerback, Christian Gonzalez.

The 2023 first-round pick is up for his first contract extension this offseason, and although the Patriots have already picked up his fifth-year option, which has him under contract with the team for the 2027 season, it doesn't ensure that Gonzalez will take the field any time soon this year.

Although he was present at spring practices and meetings, he didn't participate in many activities, reportedly because contract negotiations are underway. We haven't heard any updates about how close, or not, they are to getting a deal done, and with training camp starting up soon, there are concerns that the cornerback will begin a hold-in to avoid piling up fines.

There are signs that the team wants to keep him around, and Gonzalez himself has said he wants to remain a Patriot. The problem is that there doesn't appear to be a light at the end of the tunnel; instead, the Patriots might be waiting for another cornerback to be signed first to lay the groundwork for the kind of deal Gonzalez will want and inevitably sign.

That means that until the Seahawks get Devon Witherspoon to sign on the dotted line, we probably won't see Gonzalez sign his own any time soon.

Christian Gonzalez might win big from the Patriots' lack of urgency to get an extension done

Because another 2023 first-rounder is looking to get a massive payday this offseason as well, there's likely an unofficial standoff between the Patriots and the Seahawks, hoping the other will reach a deal with their superstar cornerback first.

To an extent, that makes sense because then they can see where they'll need to be with their offer. But at the same time, waiting can hurt their pocketbook, too.

There's a good chance that they'll be on the hook for much more money than they were hoping to give out the longer they wait, especially if the other cornerback gets their deal first. Both Gonzalez and Witherspoon have made it clear that they want to be the highest-paid, or close to it, at the position, so watching the other team get the deal done first means they'll need to top that salary.

That would presumably not be something either team wants to deal with. However, they're really risking that coming to fruition the longer they drag their feet.

That, of course, works in the players' favor, but it's also risking how soon (or not) they get back to practice, and that's certainly not something the Patriots can afford to deal with.

Gonzalez is the heart and soul of their secondary, and we've already seen how much they struggle when he isn't on the field. So, although they might not find it ideal, there needs to be greater urgency in getting an extension done, and they can put this behind them to focus on the upcoming season.

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This article was originally published on musketfire.com as Christian Gonzalez's next Patriots deal just got much easier to predict.