Christian Gonzalez's absence from the New England Patriots' training camp practice with the Indianapolis Colts garnered plenty of attention on Tuesday. But then that noise was amplified after the star cornerback posted lyrics from rapper Gunna's song "Time Reveals, Be Careful What You Wish For" on his Instagram page.
The lyrics that Gonzalez used in his post were "should have been done by now," via NBC Sports Boston.
Of course, the post might have nothing to do with football whatsoever. Perhaps Gonzalez is referring to something else in his life away from the game, or maybe he's simply posting his favorite lyrics from a song he likes. However, the timing has led some to wonder if the post is contract-related.
Gonzalez and the Patriots are currently negotiating a new deal, and the two sides have yet to agree on an extension. There has been a belief that Gonzalez is looking to reset the market, but no one knows to what end. Is he looking to surpass the current top cornerback's salary, or does he want to set a higher bar for the position entirely?
Gonzalez had participated fully in training camp, but his sudden absence from the Patriots' first scrimmage was eyebrow-raising. Keep in mind that there is no certainty that he skipped practice because of the contract issue. ESPN's Mike Reiss noted that the veteran defender came up a little sluggish at the end of Monday's training camp practice after a play defending wide receiver Romeo Doubs.
So maybe it was simply a case of the Patriots playing it safe and giving one of their star players the day off. The real telltale sign could be if Gonzalez skips practice this weekend after the team's preseason opener against the Colts on Thursday.
When asked about Gonzalez missing practice, NFL Network's Ian Rapoport called the entire ordeal "interesting."
“I wanna be clear, I do not know why Christian Gonzalez was not at practice today," Rapoport said on The Pat McAfee Show. "But it’s interesting to me that yesterday they agreed to terms with Hunter Henry on a new contract extension, and then the next day Christian Gonzalez is not practicing. ...I think there’s a good chance [Seattle Seahawks cornerback Devon] Witherspoon gets done. I think. I don’t know about Gonzalez, whether it’s gonna be this year or next year. But the timing is certainly something I took note of today and is interesting.”
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This article originally appeared on Patriots Wire: Christian Gonzalez shares cryptic post after missing practice
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