Patriots Want to Make Christian Gonzalez the NFL's Highest-Paid Cornerback

Sports reporter Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated shared his thoughts on how he thinks both deals will play out. He believes Devon Witherspoon will sign his new contract with Seattle first. After that, he thinks Gonzalez will sign his long-term deal with New England. Breer pointed out that both players have the same agent — a man named Reggie Johnson — and that this adds an interesting twist to the talks.

Breer was honest about the fact that neither deal is close to being finished yet. "I'd still say that Devon Witherspoon gets done in Seattle," Breer wrote. "Then Christian Gonzalez signs long-term in New England." He added that there is still a gap between what the players want and what the teams are offering. Both sides have more talking to do before anything is settled.

Here is why the order of signing matters so much. In professional sports, the second player to sign a big contract at the same position often ends up with more money than the first. If Witherspoon signs first and sets a high number, Gonzalez can use that number to ask for even more. By waiting, Gonzalez could end up earning a larger paycheck than he would have gotten if he had signed right away.

This situation shows how tricky contract talks in the NFL can be. Teams want to lock up their best players, but players want to make sure they are getting paid fairly compared to others at their position. Both Gonzalez and Witherspoon are among the best cornerbacks in the league, so both teams are motivated to get deals done. Fans of both the Patriots and the Seahawks are hoping their star players stay put for the long run.