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Insider speculates on holdup between Christian Gonzalez, Patriots
New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Insider speculates on holdup between Christian Gonzalez, Patriots

The New England Patriots and Christian Gonzalez still aren't on the same page about his new contract.

While they can both agree that he's earned the right to be the highest-paid cornerback in the league, it might be about more than just resetting the market.

The former first-round pick opened up about his frustration over the failed negotiations, seemingly putting more pressure on the organization.

Considering that, NFL Network insider Mike Garafolo tried to provide more context. In an appearance on "Good Morning Football," he explained it might come down to guaranteed money.

Christian Gonzalez may want more guaranteed money

“Eliot Wolf, the general manager of the Patriots, said they are still willing to make him the highest-paid cornerback in the league. That's one metric. That's the only thing we know from both sides,” Garafolo said.

Contract languages can be an issue, and Gonzalez's camp clearly isn't satisfied with what the Patriots are offering right now.

“But we don't know the guarantees, we don't know the cash flow, we don't know any of this. I can only read between the lines from what Gonzalez is saying, saying all those metrics are not there yet. And that would be a reason why, at this point, we still don't have a deal done here.”

Gonzalez and Devon Witherspoon are both represented by the same agent, so he's more than likely using the Seahawks' star's deal as the baseline for his new contract.

The clock is ticking, and with Week 1 looming large, the Patriots will have to step up their game to lock in their young star.

Ernesto Cova

Ernesto is a bilingual (English-Spanish) sports writer with over eight years of experience covering major leagues such as the NBA, NFL, and MLB. Ernesto’s work focuses on providing insightful, up-to-date coverage of sports, blending his expertise in sports psychology with a passion for analyzing player performance, team dynamics, and trade developments across various sports leagues

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