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The New England Patriots are firmly in a contract standoff with Christian Gonzalez. New England’s veteran cornerback will soon be due a second contract that could be his biggest payday of his career. So far, the Patriots have not given in and signed him to a lucrative extension. But one Patriots legend warned what could be at stake for Gonzalez during these negotiations.
Hall of Fame cornerback Ty Law shared a cautionary tale about what could happen if Gonzalez does not get an extension before training camp.
Law explained that he had a close call with injuries during one of his contract holdouts with New England.
“One play in the NFL, it changes the whole dynamic. I’ve been in that situation and practicing, and Lawyer [Milloy], the way he played with reckless abandon, we’re going across the middle and collided and I really thought I tore my knee up,” Law said, per ESPN’s Mike Reiss. “I got up and was like, ‘Oh, s— That was scary.’ It put it in perspective for me. My knee ended up being OK, but that was always in the back of my mind — the whole negotiation could have gone down the drain right there.”
Ultimately, Law signed a six-year contract worth $50 million in August of 1999 just before the regular season.
But a lot has changed since Law was in the NFL that makes Gonzalez’s situation much more complicated. Changes to the league’s collective bargaining agreement created penalties for players holding out. Instead, “hold ins” are now more common with players reporting but choosing not to practice.
Law’s story is a good reminder that Gonzalez may refuse to participate in training camp without a new contract. Otherwise, he could be putting his entire career in jeopardy.
Hopefully both sides can come to some sort of arrangement this summer. After all, the Patriots will need Gonzalez if they want to get back to the Super Bowl this season.
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