Sept. 8 (UPI) — The New England Patriots and cornerback Christian Gonzalez agreed to a four-year, $135 million contract extension, he confirmed Tuesday on Instagram.
Gonzalez’s contract — the largest in NFL history for a cornerback — includes $102 million guaranteed and will keep him tied to the Patriots through 2031.
The three-year veteran, who joined the Patriots as the No. 17 overall pick in the 2023 NFL Draft, is coming off of his first Pro Bowl campaign. Gonzalez logged a career-high 69 combined tackles, 54 solo takedowns, 10 passes defensed and a tackle for a loss over 14 starts last season.
He totaled 145 combined tackles, 24 passes defensed, three interceptions, three tackles for a loss, a sack and a fumble recovery for a touchdown over the first 34 appearances of his NFL career.
Pro Football Focus rated the 6-foot-1, 205-pound defender as the No. 34 cornerback in the NFL last season among those who were in for at least 50% of the maximum snaps played at the position. He received the top tackling grade and tied for No. 24 in coverage among qualifying players.
He ranked No. 10 overall in 2024-25, with the No. 8 tackling grade and No. 8 coverage rating.
The Patriots will face the Seattle Seahawks in their regular season opener at 8:20 p.m. EDT Wednesday in Seattle. The Seahawks are 3.5-point favorites in the rematch of Super Bowl LX.
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