Gonzalez might view himself as, hey, I'm more than just a corner.

I don't want to be paid like Sauce Gardner.

I want to be paid like one of the better players anywhere that doesn't play quarterback.

Then that could be difficult.

But that's why I think the leverage is interesting.

The Patriots will most certainly pick up the 50-year option on Gonzalez,

which locks him in at 18.5, I think, million dollar salary for 2027. And then

if after 2027, they haven't resigned them, then the franchise tag would be probably about

25 or 26. That's just ballparking based on the elevation of on inflation. So the Patriots

have the leverage in the Gonzalez situation.

This is W. EEEI Afternoons with Andy Hart, Nick Fizzy Stevens,

and three-time Super Bowl champion Ted Johnson on WEEI.

I was Tom Curran moments ago here on W-E-E-I-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-A-T. Talking about Christian Gonzalez. If you missed the interview, want to listen to the whole thing, you can always go back on the Odyssey app, A-U-D-A-C-Y, download it, use it. Works very well. I know, Ted, you're a pretty sure you used it on vacation. That's all I, it's awesome. I mean, I'm way down there in Aruba, listening to you knuckleheads up here. It was crystal clear in my ear when I'm sitting there lounging by the pool, man.

It was fun.

It's funny how you say your ear, like literally.

My ear, not my ear.

Just my ear.

The one that works.

The one good ear that I have.

Tremendous.

But Karin brought up some interesting stuff there that I hadn't really pondered.

He brought up earlier in the week the franchise tag as leverage, which is obviously true.

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