3 cornerbacks who are about to get paid after Christian Gonzalez $135 million extension

Christian Gonzalez agreed to a contract extension with the New England Patriots that established a new benchmark for elite cornerbacks. The four-year, $135 million deal includes $102 million guaranteed, making him the highest-paid cornerback in NFL history.

Gonzalez surpassed Seattle Seahawks star Devon Witherspoon, who recently signed a four-year, $132 million extension with $101 million guaranteed. The agreement gave the NFL’s next wave of young cornerbacks a powerful benchmark.

Longtime NFL insider Jordan Schultz announced the agreement on X, formerly Twitter, early Tuesday morning.

“BREAKING: The #Patriots and All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez have agreed to a 4-year, $135M extension with $102M guaranteed, per multiple sources.

The deal, done by @WinSportsGroup, makes Gonzalez, who earned Pro Bowl honors last season, the NFL’s highest-paid CB in history.”

BREAKING: The #Patriots and All-Pro CB Christian Gonzalez have agreed to a 4-year, $135M extension with $102M guaranteed, per multiple sources.

The deal, done by @WinSportsGroup, makes Gonzalez, who earned Pro Bowl honors last season, the NFL’s highest-paid CB in history. pic.twitter.com/gJF9WLNPDD

— Jordan Schultz (@Schultz_Report) September 8, 2026

Not every standout corner will reach Gonzalez’s $33.75 million annual value. Age, production, and leverage have put these three players in line for their next big contracts.

Joey Porter Jr.

Pittsburgh Steelers cornerback Joey Porter Jr. has the most urgent contract situation. Porter enters the final season of his rookie deal after Pittsburgh reached an impasse with him during negotiations. He has even left open the possibility of sitting out games without an extension.

Porter’s play supports a major payday. He allowed no touchdowns in 2025 and held opposing quarterbacks under 50% completions when targeted. The 26-year-old also has 31 passes defended through three seasons and regularly follows an opponent’s top receiver.

The Steelers can pay him now or risk competing with the open market in 2027. Gonzalez’s deal strengthens Porter’s position, even if Pittsburgh stops short of matching the record.

Quinyon Mitchell

Philadelphia Eagles cornerback Quinyon Mitchell can negotiate an extension after the 2026 season, and his resume already looks expensive. Mitchell earned first-team All-Pro honors in his second season while developing into one of football’s premier outside corners.

Opponents completed only 42.4% of their targets against Mitchell in 2025, the NFL’s lowest single-season rate since 2021 among qualifying cornerbacks. He also did not allow a touchdown across more than 600 coverage snaps.

Another elite season would give Philadelphia little room to argue against a deal near the top of the NFL cornerback market.

DJ Turner II

Cincinnati Bengals cornerback DJ Turner II is closer to negotiating a new contract. He enters the final year of his rookie contract without an extension, and the Bengals reportedly have little chance of completing one before Week 1.

Turner timed his breakout perfectly. His 78.1 coverage grade ranked sixth among 114 qualifying cornerbacks in 2025. He also recorded two interceptions and 13 pass breakups while allowing opponents to complete fewer than half of their targets against him.

Cincinnati can use the franchise tag in 2027, but that would only postpone the larger decision. A second consecutive standout season would allow Turner to seek a long-term deal from the Bengals or test a market that rewarded Gonzalez with record guarantees.

Porter is in the best position to benefit from the record-breaking extension. Turner could force Cincinnati’s hand next, while Mitchell owns the strongest case to challenge the top of the market in 2027. Gonzalez did not finish the cornerback spending surge. He accelerated it.

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