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Patriots CB Christian Gonzalez expresses frustration as contract negotiations linger

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FOXBOROUGH, Mass. — Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon Witherspoon signed a new contract last week worth $33 million a year. The New England Patriots’ current offer to Christian Gonzalez would top that figure, making him the NFL’s highest-paid cornerback, Eliot Wolf confirmed Tuesday.

In his first news conference of the summer, the team’s executive vice president of player personnel proclaimed he was “positive” negotiations with Gonzalez were headed in the right direction, referred to the team’s trade of Kayshon Boutte as “the Jaylen Reed trade” and said the move wasn’t the result of frustration from Boutte.

Those were the two big topics of the day. Let’s start with Gonzalez.

The All-Pro cornerback returned to practice Monday after an undisclosed absence, though he didn’t say whether that was because of an injury or tied to his contract. “I’m not going to get into that,” Gonzalez said.

Why a team with Super Bowl aspirations traded one of their best WRs

Chad Graff

But all eyes remain on his contract status, especially since he acknowledged after practice Tuesday it’s “frustrating” a deal isn’t done.

The Patriots have been negotiating with Gonzalez for months, yet the stalemate continues. Witherspoon, who shares an agent with Gonzalez, completed a record-setting deal with the Seahawks. As the Sept. 9 regular-season opener nears, it remains to be seen when Gonzalez and the Pats will agree on a deal.

“I’m confident we’re continuing to work on it,” Wolf said. “I’m positive that we’re making momentum.”

Wolf didn’t get into whether the Week 1 game serves as a deadline for the two sides, but deals like this often either get done before the first game or wait until after the season. Gonzalez was eligible for a contract extension this spring and has two years remaining on his contract after New England picked up his fifth-year option.

Throughout the saga, an extension always seemed the most likely outcome, especially with the Patriots publicly saying they’d make him the highest-paid cornerback in league history. But with Gonzalez expressing frustration as the opener nears, it’s fair to question how he might handle the season if there’s no deal in place — and whether a lack of an extension could affect his desire to stay.

“I’m focused on Week 1 at this point,” he said. “I mean, it’s been (my focus) all offseason.”

As the negotiations continue and the presumed price tag remains high, it’s also worth noting the Patriots can negotiate a new contract with quarterback Drake Maye next offseason. And if this season goes as planned, that likely will be a record-breaking deal that could approach $70 million per season.

“It’s about a cash budget and things like that,” Wolf said when asked whether Maye’s potential deal would affect Gonzalez’s. “We’re very aware of the timing of these things, and we’re cognizant of having a plan for that and working with (team owners) Jonathan (Kraft) and Robert (Kraft). Thankful for their support, that they’re open and willing for us to be able to sign these great players.”

Sometimes, while negotiating a new contract with a star player, if it looks like a deal isn’t going to be reached, it behooves the team to seek a trade and at least get valuable draft picks in return instead of letting the player walk in free agency, but it doesn’t sound like the Patriots are in a position to be considering that yet.

“I think we’re continuing to work on the negotiation side of Christian, and I think that’s where that stands,” Ryan Cowden, the Patriots’ vice president of player personnel, said Tuesday.

As for trading Boutte, the public sentiment has suggested some surprise that all the Patriots could get in return was a backup safety (Reed) and a seventh-round pick two years from now. If that’s all they got, did the Patriots make the move simply because Boutte wanted out? Wolf suggested that had nothing to do with it.

Eliot Wolf on new Patriots safety Jaylen Reed

Chad Graff

“For us getting Jaylen in now, he gets an opportunity to work with the defensive coaches. Safety is obviously a tough position to learn. … But no, that didn’t really factor in. Kayshon was very professional throughout the whole offseason and did a nice job for us, and he had a good camp as you guys all saw.”

Wolf said the Patriots were interested in drafting Reed last year, though it’s also fair to note they used their fifth- and sixth-round picks on edge rusher Bradyn Swinson and kicker Andy Borregales before Reed was taken by the Houston Texans.

Still, Wolf expressed optimism Reed would provide much-needed depth and carve out a role as a core special teams player.

“We followed his career last year with Houston and thought it was pretty remarkable that, as a rookie who hadn’t played much during the regular season, they trusted him enough to play the majority of the playoff games,” Wolf said.

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How to watch Brewers vs. Mets: TV channel and streaming options for August 26

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August 27, 2026

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The Milwaukee Brewers visit the New York Mets at 7:10 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Dustin May (6-8, 4.57 ERA) gets the start for the Brewers, who are 81-51 this season and first in the NL Central. Robert Stock (0-2, 5.40 ERA) is the expected starter for the Mets, who are 60-72 and fifth in the NL East.

How to watch Milwaukee Brewers vs. New York Mets

Brewers vs. Mets odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Brewers -161
  • Underdog Moneyline: Mets +135
  • Total: 8
  • Total Over Odds: -118
  • Total Under Odds: -102

Injury reports

Brewers

Abner Uribe: 15 Day IL (Forearm), JoJo Romero: 15 Day IL (Appendix), Joel Kuhnel: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Brandon Woodruff: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Rob Zastryzny: 60 Day IL (Shoulder), Brian Fitzpatrick: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Angel Zerpa: 60 Day IL (Forearm), Quinn Priester: 60 Day IL (Wrist), Cooper Pratt: day-to-day (Lower body)

Mets

Mark Vientos: 10 Day IL (Hand), Jorge Polanco: 10 Day IL (Ankle), Juan Soto: 10 Day IL (Calf), Cionel Perez: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Devin Williams: 15 Day IL (Shoulder), Tylor Megill: 60 Day IL (Elbow), Justin Hagenman: 60 Day IL (Rib), Reed Garrett: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

  • Brice Turang is hitting for a .259 BA, .352 OBP and .430 SLG with a 24.9% strikeout rate and a 12.6% walk rate. His OPS is .782 and he has scored 78 runs. In 555 plate appearances, he has hit 16 home runs and driven in 76 runs. Turang has been crafty on the base paths, recording 18 steals on 23 attempts.
  • In 476 plate appearances, Jake Bauers has slashed .272/.382/.501 this season. He has hit 23 long balls and driven in 75 runs with a strikeout rate of 25.6% and a walk rate of 14.7%. He has nine stolen bases on 13 attempts. He has come around to score 76 times.
  • Carson Benge has hit 16 home runs this season. He has also tallied 53 RBIs and has scored 68 runs. In 521 plate appearances, he has recorded a .282 BA, .342 OBP and .431 SLG with a 7.3% walk rate and a 21.1% strikeout rate. He has been effective on the base paths, recording 19 steals on 23 attempts.
  • In 566 plate appearances, Bo Bichette has slashed .265/.311/.393 this season. He has hit 14 long balls and driven in 66 runs with a strikeout rate of 18.2% and a walk rate of 6.4%. and has scored 64 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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How to watch Astros vs. Yankees: TV channel and streaming options for August 26

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August 27, 2026

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Yainer Diaz leads the Houston Astros into a contest against the New York Yankees, after his two-homer outing in a 9-7 victory over the Yankees, starting at 7:05 p.m. ET on Wednesday. Elmer Rodriguez-Cruz (0-2, 4.76 ERA) will start for the Yankees, who are 74-57 this season and second in the AL East. Peter Lambert (8-7, 3.68 ERA) is the expected starter for the Astros, who are 66-66 and first in the AL West.

How to watch Houston Astros vs. New York Yankees

Astros vs. Yankees odds

  • Favorite Moneyline: Yankees -120
  • Underdog Moneyline: Astros +100
  • Total: 8.5
  • Total Over Odds: -120
  • Total Under Odds: +100

Injury reports

Yankees

Ryan McMahon: 10 Day IL (Thumb), Max Fried: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Kervin Castro: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Ryan Weathers: 15 Day IL (Forearm), Giancarlo Stanton: 60 Day IL (Calf), Aaron Judge: 60 Day IL (Rib), Clarke Schmidt: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Astros

Mike Burrows: 15 Day IL (Elbow), Carlos Correa: 60 Day IL (Ankle), Brice Matthews: 60 Day IL (Knee), Brandon Walter: 60 Day IL (Elbow)

Stats to know

  • New York’s Ben Rice has hit 34 home runs this season, which ranks 6th in MLB. He has also tallied 82 RBIs (10th in MLB) and has scored 80 runs. In 541 plate appearances, he has recorded a .249 BA, .346 OBP and .522 SLG with a 12% walk rate and a 25.1% strikeout rate.
  • In 448 plate appearances, Luis Garcia has hit 27 long balls (16th in MLB), tallied 85 RBIs (7th in MLB) and scored 56 runs. He is batting .283/.317/.554 and has posted a 16.5% strikeout rate and a 4.9% walk rate.
  • Yordan Alvarez is hitting for a .323 BA, .438 OBP and .618 SLG with a 17% strikeout rate and a 15.9% walk rate. His OPS is 1.055, which ranks 1st in MLB, and he has scored 88 runs. In 571 plate appearances, he has hit 36 home runs (2nd in MLB) and driven in 91 runs (5th in MLB).
  • In 531 plate appearances, Isaac Paredes has slashed .261/.356/.428 this season. He has hit 17 long balls and driven in 72 runs with a strikeout rate of 13.2% and a walk rate of 10%. and has scored 50 runs.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Jamie Squire, Ishika Samant, Scott Taetsch, Alika Jenner / Getty Images

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How to watch Valkyries vs. Sun: TV channel and streaming options for August 26

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14 minutes ago

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August 27, 2026

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Aaliyah Edwards leads the Connecticut Sun (10-27) into a matchup against the Golden State Valkyries (26-11) after scoring 26 points in an 87-81 win over the Sky. The matchup is on Wednesday, August 26, 2026, tipping off at 7 p.m. ET on NBCS-BOS, KPIX, and KOVR 13.

How to watch Golden State Valkyries vs. Connecticut Sun

Golden State vs. Connecticut odds

  • Spread: Golden State -13.5 (-125), Connecticut +13.5 (-105)
  • Favorite Moneyline: Golden State -1429
  • Underdog Moneyline: Connecticut +800
  • Total: 151.5
  • Total Over Odds: -110
  • Total Under Odds: -110

Injury reports

Valkyries

Iliana Rupert: Out For Season (Pregnancy)

Sun

Brittney Griner: Questionable (Knee),

Olivia Nelson-Ododa: Questionable (Knee)

Stats to know

  • The Valkyries record just 4.4 fewer points per game (82.5) than the Sun give up (86.9).
  • Connecticut’s 79.2 points per game are just 2.9 more points than the 76.3 Golden State allows to opponents.
  • Gabby Williams averages 14.4 points, 2.1 assists and 3.3 rebounds per contest.
  • Kennedy Burke averages 9.0 points, 1.4 assists and 3.3 rebounds per game.

This watch guide was created using technology provided by Data Skrive.

Betting/odds, ticketing and streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process and do not review stories before publication.

Photo: Julio Aguilar, Ethan Miller, Steph Chambers / Getty Images

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