New England Patriots cornerback Christian Gonzalez remained noncommittal when asked Saturday if he would consider asking for a trade amid ongoing contract negotiations.
When asked about the possibility of a trade request, Gonzalez answered, “I’m here right now… I’ll always be where my feet are, and do what I gotta do.”
Gonzalez also said only that he was “focused on today” when asked if he expected to play in Wednesday’s regular season opener at the Seattle Seahawks (h/t WEEI’s Justin Turpin).
Per NBC 10’s Nicole Menner, when asked if he thought there was momentum toward getting a new contract finalized ahead of that Week 1 matchup, Gonzalez said, “I don’t know.”
Gonzalez is currently signed through the 2027 season after the Patriots activated the fifth-year option on his rookie contract.
That contract has Gonzalez heading into the 2026 season holding a $4.8 million cap hit with a base salary of $2.3 million, according to Spotrac.
The top of the cornerback market is led by five players making more than $30 million in annual average salary on their latest contracts.
Patriots owner Robert Kraft said in July he had made Gonzalez an offer to become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, although that number has since climbed. Devon Witherspoon signed a four-year extension with the Seattle Seahawks last month that included $101 million in guaranteed salary alongside a positional record $33 million annual average salary.
Gonzalez has previously declined to definitively answer questions about whether he would play this season without a contract amid what he has described as “frustrating” negotiations.
Patriots coach Mike Vrabel said Saturday he didn’t have a “timetable” as to when his team might be able to resolve the ongoing contract dispute, per Menner.
“I don’t get involved in the negotiations, per se, but I certainly want to be involved in trying to get the situation resolved,” Vrabel said Saturday (h/t ESPN’s Mike Reiss).
Vrabel has previously said in response to questions about Gonzalez playing Week 1 he expects every player to participate if healthy and under contract.
The Patriots leaned heavily on Gonzalez as a matchup for star Seahawks receiver Jaxon Smith-Njigba during Super Bowl LX last February.
Not having Gonzalez on the field could require Vrabel to reshape his defensive game plan ahead of Wednesday’s rematch against the defending champions.