Christian Gonzalez will have to wait for his future.
The star cornerback is headed into the Patriots’ final preseason without the long-term contract extension that’s been hanging over his head the past few months.
Wednesday marked Gonzalez’s return to practice this week after what coach Mike Vrabel called a minor injury kept him sidelined since Aug. 10 — though whispers of it having to do with his contract status loomed..
“I’m not going to get into that,” the 24-year-old told reporters. “I’m out here now. So it is what it is.”
Gonzalez is entering the fourth year of a $15 million rookie contract, with New England having opted in for a fifth year.
Heading into the Patriots’ third preseason game — a tilt with the Browns in Cleveland on Thursday — Gonzalez did make it clear that he wasn’t entirely happy with the situation.
“It’s frustrating. But I’m focused on the season. I’m focused on here now and doing what I have to do,” he said. “I’m out here to compete and get better.”
In July, Patriots owner Robert Kraft said he had offered the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 draft the “highest contract in Patriots franchise history,” which would seemingly eclipse defensive lineman Milton Williams’ four-year, $104 million pact. Among cornerbacks, Devon Witherspoon’s four-year, $132 million extension with Seattle is the landmark deal.
The Patriots are well aware of the what Gonzalez brings to the table — he allowed league-low 43.4% completion rate when targeted last season, according to Pro Football Focus.
“We want him here,” New England VP of player personnel Elit Wolf told reporters Wednesday. “He’s an elite player. Been on record saying that before and we continue to work with his representation to find a resolution that works for everyone. We’re just taking it a day at a time right now. We haven’t [set] a deadline.”
If Gonzalez has one, he isn’t saying either, though he didn’t exactly rule out missing the season opener — a Super Bowl rematch against the Seahawks — as an option.
“I’m focused on today, on this practice,” he said. “And we’ll see where we go from here.”
