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By Jordan Sigler
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In July, New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft revealed that the team was ready to make Christian Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL.
“We love Christian Gonzalez," Kraft said. "We love him as a player. We love him as a person. That’s why we’ve made an offer to him that makes him the highest-paid player ever to play that position in the NFL… It’s the highest-paid contract in Patriots franchise history.”
The status of Gonzalez's contract has been a talking point since the Super Bowl, when the young cornerback made a heroic effort in the Patriots' 29-13 loss to the Seattle Seahawks in the Super Bowl. The winning cornerback in the Super Bowl, Devon Witherspoon, is also seeking a contract extension before the start of the regular season.
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Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated provided an interesting theory on how he thinks negotiations will go for Witherspoon and Gonzalez, who are represented by the same agent, Reggie Johnson. He believes both will get contract extensions, with Witherspoon signing a deal before Gonzalez.
Breer noted both negotiations have a ways to go before being finalized.
"I’d still say that Devon Witherspoon gets done in Seattle," Breer wrote. "Then Christian Gonzalez signs long-term in New England—as we’ve written here, both are represented by the same guy (Reggie Johnson), which adds an interesting dynamic to the negotiations. For now, though, I don’t know exactly when these two contracts get done. There’s still a divide with both."
Based on Breer's theory, it appears Gonzalez is set to win the battle to become the highest-paid cornerback in the NFL, as it's expected the second player between the two to sign will earn the best contract.
While the Patriots were ready to make Gonzalez the highest-paid cornerback, Witherspoon would have likely surpassed that number with his deal. By waiting, Gonzalez has a chance to earn more money after seeing the market play out.
For more on the Patriots and the NFL, head to Newsweek Sports.
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