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Mike Vrabel says Patriots will pick up Christian Gonzalez’s fifth-year option
The move will keep Gonzalez in New England through 2027.
Christian Gonzalez‘s fourth-season with the Patriot is an important year: his rookie contract is almost up, and the team has decisions to make about his future.
The team has an option to bring Gonzalez back at $18.1 million for the 2027 season. Coach Mike Vrabel told reporters that the team intends to use it.
“Yes,” Vrabel said. “If we haven’t picked it up, we should pick it up.”
The salary increase between from year three to year four is a big one. Gonzalez made $2.2 million in base salary last season. If the Patriots pick up the option, he’ll have a year at the $18.1 number before his contract expires ahead of the 2028 season.
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If the Patriots want to keep Gonzalez from hitting free-agency, they’ll have to work out a contract extension before then.
Vrabel said the Patriots want to keep Gonzalez around long term.
“We want to make sure that we draft extremely well, and then we identify the guys that we want to keep with us and that have earned long-term extensions with us,” Vrabel said. “And Christian, Gonzo is certainly one of those players, but I can’t comment on the negotiations.”
Gonzalez, a 2023 first-round pick, earned his first Pro Bowl nod this past season. He did not play in the game, which took place during Super Bowl week in San Francisco. He was one of the bright spots for the Patriots during the Super Bowl, deflecting three passes. No Seattle receiver, including league-leader Jaxon Smith-Njigba, had more than 61 receiving yards in the game.
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Last year was a continuation of a strong start to Gonzalez’s Patriots career. He was a second-team All-Pro selection in 2024.
There have been some concerns about injuries with Gonzalez. He missed the first three weeks of this past season, along with 13 games during his rookie year. He played in 16 of the Patriots’ 17 games in 2024. He did not miss any of the Patriots’ playoff games this season.
Vrabel said he started seeing a different version of Gonzalez towards the end of the season, and he liked what he saw.
“I really enjoyed our relationship and how he had to put some time into it” Vrabel said last month. “Again, there’s a lot of trust that goes along with certain guys. I watched him continue to get better and improve as the season wore on and I asked him if he wanted to be a captain — something that he strives to be. I want to help him try to get there, to help him use his knowledge, skills, and his instincts to help the guy next to him.”
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