Cornerback Christian Gonzalez returned to the practice field on Monday, but there hasn’t been any sign that a contract extension with the team is imminent.
Gonzalez had not practiced for a couple of weeks due to what the team said was an injury, but others wondered if the ongoing negotiations on an extension played a role in the decision. At a Tuesday press conference, Patriots executive vice president of player personnel Eliot Wolf said there’s “nothing new” to report on the contract front and that the two sides are “continuing to work with his representation to find a resolution that works for everyone.”
Wolf also said that neither side has set Week 1 of the regular season as a deadline to wrap up an agreement, but declined to say if he’s confident that they’ll come to an agreement.
“I’m confident we’re continuing to work on it, and we’re positive that we’re making momentum,” Wolf said, via a transcript from the team.
The agreement that Devon Witherspoon reached with the Seahawks earlier this month was seen as a potential stepping stone toward a deal between the Patriots and Gonzalez, but it hasn’t played out that way and the clock is ticking for something to get done before the two corners are on opposite sides of the field on September 9.
