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The New England Patriots have secured one of their franchise cornerstones for the foreseeable future. Star cornerback Christian Gonzalez has been in contract discussions with the Pats during the offseason. Now, just a few days before the start of the season, the two sides have finally agreed on a deal. It's a four-year deal for Gonzalez worth $135 million, according to Jordan Schultz. The Patriots cornerback will now be one of the highest paid players at his position. Gonzalez was the Patriots' first-round pick in the 2023 NFL Draft. One of the many star cornerback prospect from that year's class, Gonzalez's rookie season was cut short after suffering a torn labrum four games into the year. That injury sparked some concerns about the cornerback's availability and set him back a year. Upon his return, though, Gonzalez proved why he was picked by the Patriots that early in the draft. Since his return in 2024, Gonzalez has been one of the more underrated cornerbacks in the league. Despite not getting a single pick last season, Gonzalez was still effective: recording ten passes defended, 69 tackles, and a completion rate of just 53.6% when he was targeted. He was a key factor in the Patriots' Super Bowl run, recording two pass deflections in the big game. It was a bumpy ride up to this point for the Patriots and Gonzalez. Both sides struggled to find a middle ground at first, leading to concern that the two sides might not reach a new deal. This was Gonzalez's comments on his contract talks a week ago. “I mean, I'm focused on Week 1 at this point,” Gonzalez said. “I mean, it's been all offseason, so like I said, I feel like the line of today is, it is what it is. So focused on Week 1 and doing what I gotta do.” The Patriots will now prepare for a rematch against the Seattle Seahawks in Week 1 of the season.