The cornerback market rose again in the early morning hours Tuesday as the New England Patriots and star defensive back Christian Gonzalez agreed to a record-setting four-year, $135 million extension with $102 million guaranteed just ahead of the team’s season opener, insider Jordan Schultz reported.
Gonzalez’s $33.75 million yearly average sets the new top mark for cornerbacks, just ahead of the $33 million average-per-year contract fellow 2023 draftee and Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon signed earlier this offseason.
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Now, only one big-name cornerback contract dispute from the 2023 draft remains: the Steelers and Joey Porter Jr.’s “impasse.”
Pittsburgh remains adamant in its policy of not negotiating with players during the regular season. And Porter hasn’t closed the door on sitting out games if he isn’t extended by Week 1. With the Steelers opening their season on Sunday, Sept. 13, the remaining window for an extension this offseason is rapidly shrinking — and the cornerback market keeps going up.
Porter is entering the final year of his rookie contract.
While it’s clear Porter wants to be paid like the high-end CB1 he established himself as last season, it remains to be seen if he’s hoping to reset the cornerback market himself or simply land a deal in the upper tier of his position group. It’s worth noting he’s represented by Win Sports Group, the same agency that negotiated the previously record-setting deals for Gonzalez and Witherspoon.
As of Gonzalez’s extensions, six cornerbacks are now averaging $30 million or more yearly on their current contracts.
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