The New England Patriots already knew Christian Gonzalez was going to be expensive, but Devon Witherspoon may have just moved the receipt a little farther to the right.
The Seattle Seahawks agreed to an extension worth $132 million over four years with Witherspoon on Saturday, giving him a record $33 million in annual average value. NFL insider James Palmer believes that deal puts New England on the clock, but he cautioned that a Gonzalez extension is far from guaranteed before the season.
James Palmer Says Patriots Are Next After Devon Witherspoon Deal
“It was expected that both Witherspoon and Gonzalez wouldn’t just top McDuffie and Ward by a small margin, but completely reset the market,” Palmer wrote on X. “Witherspoon comes in at 33 million a year and does just that. Now it’s the Patriots move.”
“It’s not a lock something gets done before the season,” Palmer added.
Witherspoon’s new contract reportedly includes more than $101 million guaranteed. His $33 million annual average moves him above Cleveland Browns cornerback Denzel Ward at $31.1 million and Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie at $31 million.
It was expected that both Witherspoon and Gonzalez wouldn’t just top McDuffie and Ward by a small margin, but completely reset the market. Witherspoon comes in at 33 million a year and does just that. Now it’s the Patriots move. It’s not a lock soemthing gets done before the…
— James Palmer (@JamesPalmerTV) August 15, 2026
Palmer had already predicted that both Witherspoon and Gonzalez would clear those deals by a meaningful amount. Witherspoon has now done exactly that, giving Gonzalez and his representatives a fresh number to point toward.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in July that New England had offered Gonzalez a contract that would make him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history and the highest-paid player in franchise history. The problem is that the definition of “highest paid” changed on Saturday.
A deal that looked record-setting three weeks ago may need another look now.
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Christian Gonzalez Has a Strong Case for a Massive Payday
Gonzalez has given New England plenty of reasons to keep negotiating. He made the Pro Bowl last season after recording 69 tackles and 10 passes defended in 14 starts. He also helped the Patriots reach Super Bowl LX.
PFN’s Cornerback Impact Metric supports his case. Gonzalez posted a 79.9 CB Impact score in 2025, ranking No. 24 among qualifying cornerbacks.
The Patriots exercised Gonzalez’s fifth-year option earlier this offseason, so he is under team control through 2027. That gives New England leverage and prevents the situation from becoming an immediate free agency emergency.
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It does not make the price any friendlier.
Gonzalez and Witherspoon were both selected in the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft, and the two share the same agent. Every major cornerback contract this summer has given that camp another comparison point.
New England has made clear that it wants Gonzalez around for the long haul, and the player has also kept the details of negotiations private rather than turning the dispute into a public negotiation.
Witherspoon’s deal changes the math anyway. The Patriots may still get Gonzalez signed before Week 1, but Palmer’s warning is a reminder that record contracts have a short shelf life.
