NFL's two highest-paid cornerbacks meet in Patriots-Seahawks opener

Their extensions carry $203 million guaranteed

Wire Report IntelligenceUpdated Sep 81 min read

The Patriots and Seahawks Super Bowl rematch to open the 2026 season tomorrow night features the NFL’s two highest-paid Via @WerderEdNFL on X

What happened: Christian Gonzalez agreed to a four-year, $135 million extension with New England, topping Devon Witherspoon's four-year, $132 million Seattle deal from Aug. 15. Their contracts average $33.75 million and $33 million per year, respectively.

Why it matters: Gonzalez raised the position's annual salary ceiling by $750,000 just weeks after Witherspoon set it. The pair enter Wednesday's Super Bowl LX rematch as the market's new benchmarks.

By the numbers: Combined value: $267 million. Combined guarantees: $203 million. Gonzalez's annual average exceeds Witherspoon's by $750,000.

What to watch: Each defense's deployment of its newly extended cornerback becomes a key matchup Wednesday night.

Sources

@WerderEdNFL 2026-09-08T12:57:42.411603+00:00

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NFLPreviewNew England PatriotsSeattle SeahawksChristian GonzalezDevon Witherspoon

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