Christian Gonzalez is skipping Patriots OTAs for the first time in his career, with a looming extension the holdup

Christian Gonzalez’s absence from New England’s voluntary OTAs is a contract story before it is a football one: the first time he has skipped the voluntary program in his career, with a top-of-market extension the clear sticking point.

Why he is not on the field

Gonzalez had participated in the voluntary portion of the program in each of his first three NFL seasons, which is what makes this absence stand out. He is set to make around $4 million in 2026 on his rookie deal, and he is now eligible for the first extension of his career while seeking one of the largest contracts at the position.

The Patriots hold leverage. They exercised his fifth-year option, keeping him under club control through 2027, and Boston Globe’s Ben Volin anticipates the two sides agree to a deal before Week 1. A useful comp is Derek Stingley Jr.’s three-year, $90 million extension in Houston, which tacked onto his rookie and option years amounted to a five-year, $112 million commitment in practice.

What Gonzalez is worth to them

Gonzalez may set a new high-water mark for cornerbacks in average annual value on the new-money portion of his deal. He was a second-team All-Pro in 2024, a Pro Bowler in 2025 with 59 tackles, two interceptions and 11 passes defended, and NFL execs ranked him sixth among corners in an ESPN poll, with comparisons to Patrick Surtain II. He also intercepted a pass in the AFC Championship Game on New England’s run to Super Bowl LX.

The front office has said the right things. “No Gonzalez update other than I’ll continue to say we want Christian here,” executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said. Vrabel, at the league meetings, called him “certainly one of those players” who earns a long-term extension.

The cap path is clear

New England restructured Mike Onwenu’s contract to open 2026 space and has the flexibility to extend Gonzalez even while taking on A.J. Brown’s salary in the recent trade with Philadelphia. There is also timing pressure: Drake Maye becomes extension-eligible in 2027, so getting Gonzalez done now keeps the two negotiations from stacking.

His teammates are behind it. Cornerback Marcus Jones publicly backed Gonzalez getting paid at Drake Maye’s charity softball game over the weekend, the first real comment from the locker room on the situation.

The football cost in the meantime

The absence does come with a secondary wrinkle. New England was also without Carlton Davis among its corners at Wednesday’s open practice, sending reps toward backups such as Kindle Vildor and Kobee Minor. Gonzalez is the kind of corner who lets a defense keep help away from the boundary, and his missed reps tilt the spring toward evaluating depth rather than building coverages around the top player.

The minicamp marker

The Patriots hold mandatory minicamp in June. Gonzalez skipping voluntary OTAs sits at one level; an absence from the mandatory work, which carries fines, would move this from a quiet contract wait into a louder standoff. A deal before then would make the whole question moot, which is the outcome both sides have signaled they expect.