Price for Patriots Top Defender Skyrockets

There weren't a whole lot of things to be excited about if you were a New England Patriots fan this past season, but the Patriots did have a couple of silver linings. One of them was cornerback Christian Gonzalez.

Gonzalez established himself as one of the best cornerbacks in football in 2024, registering 59 tackles, a couple of interceptions and 11 passes defended in 16 games. He earned a Second-Team All-Pro selection for his efforts.

The former first-round pick will become eligible for a contract extension next offseason, and after seeing the deals that fellow corners Jaycee Horn and Derek Stingley Jr. just received, Gonzalez is now in line for a big pay day, even if his sample size is rather small.

"It might be presumptuous to suggest he deserves a big pay day since he has only completed one season in his NFL career," wrote Sara Marshall of Musket Fire. "But if his performance continues to be as stellar as it has been thus far, shutting down the best wide receivers across the league, there's no reason the Patriots wouldn't pay him the money he deserves."

Gonzalez initially made the jump to the NFL in 2023, but was knocked out for the season after just four games due to a shoulder injury.

He returned this past year and was a force in New England's secondary, so much so that he was widely viewed as one of the league's biggest Pro Bowl snubs.

Based on how highly cornerbacks are valued in the modern NFL, Gonzalez is definitely setting himself up to get paid handsomely next year. Remember: Horn and Stingley have been largely injury-prone, as well, so that shouldn't stop the Pats from handing Gonzalez a massive contract.

The University of Oregon product is just 22 years old and is clearly ascending into the upper echelon of the NFL's defensive backs.