New England Patriots

"At the end of the day, they want what’s best for them, and he wants what’s best for him."

WORCESTER — Christian Gonzalez hasn’t been spotted so far during the Patriots’ organized team activity (OTA) workouts over the last week.

But the All-Pro cornerback was a regular participant during Sunday’s “MayeDaye” Family Foundation Celebrity Softball Classic — supporting Drake and Ann Michael Maye’s kick-off event for their charitable foundation at Worcester’s Polar Park.

Gonzalez’s presence in New England — but absence from the practice fields behind Gillette Stadium — is not a coincidence.​

The 23-year-old defensive back is eligible to sign an extension, one that will likely make him one of the highest-paid defensive players in the NFL.

Until the Patriots and Gonzalez put pen to paper on said deal, the cornerback is not expected to practice with New England this summer.

“He is not going to play for $4 million,” NBC Sports Boston’s Tom E. Curran said of Gonzalez and his current salary for the 2026 season. “He should be making $32-35 million dollars a year. He is not going to take a rep in anger until he is being paid commensurate to what he has to do.”

​Speaking to reporters on Sunday, Patriots cornerback Marcus Jones offered up support for Gonzalez and the steps he’s taking to secure that new contract in the coming years.

​“He means a lot. When it comes down to it, we support him and also the organization,” Jones said of Gonzalez. “At the end of the day, that’s their thing. We’re ready when it comes down to him. I know he’s always one of those guys where no matter where he’s at, he’s always working. It’s a day-by-day thing. I’ve been in the situation of learning about how contract negotiation stuff goes about. At the end of the day, they want what’s best for them, and he wants what’s best for him.

“We’re not rushing it when it comes down to it. At the end of the day, we all know the value that he [brings] when it comes down to our team.”

​​Locking up Gonzalez long-term stands as one of New England’s most pressing tasks as executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf and the rest of the Patriots’ top brass try to build a sustainable contender moving forward.

“It’s no secret that we’d like to keep Christian Gonzalez,” Wolf said in March. “I don’t know what the timing of that is, but that’s something that we’re certainly preparing for.”

Gonzalez has been a foundational piece of New England’s resurgence over the last few years — earning Second Team All-Pro honors in 2024 before earning a Pro Bowl nod this past year.

The shutdown corner elevated his game during New England’s unexpected run to Super Bowl LX this past winter — recording an interception, a sack, and breaking up seven total passes over four playoff games.

After clinching New England’s AFC title with a fourth-quarter interception against the Broncos in the fourth quarter, he was a bright spot in the Patriots’ loss to Seattle in Super Bowl LX — finishing with three pass breakups that took two potential Seahawks touchdowns off the board.

Gonzalez, whose fifth-year option was picked up by New England, keeping him under contract for at least 2026 and 2027, stressed in February that he wants to remain with the Patriots beyond the parameters of his rookie deal.

“Oh, yeah, no doubt,” Gonzalez said. “This is where I got drafted, and I don’t want to be anywhere else.”