The New England Patriots are showing cornerback Christian Gonzalez how much he’s valued. Team owner Robert Kraft said Saturday the star cornerback has been offered the highest contract in Patriots history.

Contract Details

Kraft didn’t provide details on the offer. However, Los Angeles Rams cornerback Trent McDuffie’s four-year contract currently tops NFL cornerbacks with an average yearly value of approximately $31 million.

The Patriots picked up Gonzalez’s fifth-year option in April, meaning he will make just over $18 million in the final year of his rookie deal in 2027. But he entered the offseason seeking long-term security beyond that.

Team Expectations

Mike Vrabel, the Patriots’ coach, is not worried about the recent history of Super Bowl losers. The Patriots had a dream turnaround last season, going from 4-13 in 2024 to 14-3 last season and earning a spot in the Super Bowl.

Each of the past two Super Bowl losers — Kansas City in the 2024 season and San Francisco in the 2023 season — missed the playoffs the following year. Both finished with 6-11 records after their Super Bowl runs.

But that’s the furthest thing from Vrabel’s mind. “The expectations always get higher,” Vrabel said. “Our job is to recreate the things that we did really well last year — the culture, the ability to win different ways and find ways to win and understand how to win and understand how to prepare. And we’re going to have a more difficult journey. That’s just how it goes each and every year. That’s what we’re expecting.”

Original reporting: KSAT Sports (San Antonio) — read the source article.