Everyone expected this.Gonzalez early Tuesday morning agreed to a four-year extension worth $135 million with the New England Patriots that includes $102 million in guaranteed money.Gonzalez confirmed the deal and its numbers on Instagram.PATRICK MAHOMES LEAPS PAST DAK PRESCOTT AS NFL'S HIGHEST-PAID QB WITH RECORD CHIEFS EXTENSION WORTH $504.75MChristian Gonzalez of the New England Patriots looks on before Super Bowl LX against the Seattle Seahawks at Levi's Stadium in Santa Clara, Calif., on Feb.
8, 2026.(Kathryn Riley/Getty Images)The $33.75 million per season Gonzalez will get on an annual average basis not only makes him the highest-paid cornerback on average in the NFL, it makes him the league's highest-paid cornerback ever.But this would have been bigger news if it had not happened.TEXANS STAR DEFENDER BECOMES HIGHEST-PAID NON-QUARTERBACK IN NFL HISTORY WITH $150M DEAL: REPORTSThe reason this is a dog-bites-man story is every circumstance pointed to Gonzalez reaching this plateau and doing it exactly on this timing.Why? Because NFL contracts for top players work a lot on three factors:NFL salaries for top players rarely go down.Kansas City Chiefs cornerback Trent McDuffie (22) takes the field prior to a game against the Baltimore Ravens at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium on Sept.
28, 2025 in Kansas City, Missouri.(Jay Biggerstaff/Imagn Images)The NFL is about deadlines.
It moves when deadlines loom.Gonzalez agreed to his deal less than 48 hours before the start of the regular season, with the Patriots leaving Tuesday for the NFL's regular-season opener at Seattle on Wednesday evening.The Patriots and Gonzalez simply made certain both started the season on the right footing rather than embroiled in contract strife.
It would have been a bad look for everyone if this had not happened by the opener, so obviously the timing of the approaching season moved things forward.The market for this deal was set this offseason when Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuf...