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Stephon Gilmore
American football player (born 1990) From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
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Stephon Stiles Gilmore[1] (born September 19, 1990) is an American professional football cornerback. He played college football for the South Carolina Gamecocks and was selected tenth overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL draft. Gilmore spent his first five seasons with the Bills and earned Pro Bowl honors in 2016 before joining the New England Patriots.
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Gilmore was named 2019 Defensive Player of the Year with the Patriots in 2019 after co-leading the league in interceptions. He also extended his Pro Bowl selections to four, received two first-team All-Pro selections, and was a member of the team that won Super Bowl LIII. Gilmore spent the next season with the Carolina Panthers, where he received a fifth Pro Bowl selection, before playing single seasons with the Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings.
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Early life
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Gilmore attended South Pointe High School in Rock Hill, South Carolina, where he played football, basketball and ran track. In football, he was a two-way player as quarterback and defensive back, and helped his team to a perfect 15–0 record and the SCHSL AAAA Division II title as a senior. Among his teammates were DeVonte Holloman and Jadeveon Clowney. Playing quarterback on offense, Gilmore rushed for 1,331 yards and 23 touchdowns and passed for 1,771 yards with 14 scores. He earned first-team all-state honors by The State and was named an All-American by Parade and EA Sports. He was also named Mr. Football for the state of South Carolina.
In track & field, Gilmore competed as a sprinter during his junior year in 2008. He recorded a PR of 11.41 seconds in the 100 meters in the prelims of the Taco Bell Classic.[2] At the York County Meet, he took 5th in the 200 meters, at 23.14 seconds, and placed 9th in the 400 meters, with a time of 54.94 seconds.[3] He was also a member of the 4 × 100 m relay (43.10s) squad.
Considered a four-star recruit by Rivals.com, Gilmore was listed as the No. 2 overall prospect from South Carolina in the class of 2009.[4] He chose South Carolina over Alabama, Tennessee, and Clemson.
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College career
Gilmore graduated from South Pointe High School in December 2008 to enroll at the University of South Carolina early, and participate in spring practice. It worked out, as he came out of spring as a starter at cornerback. Appearing in all 12 games for the Gamecocks, Gilmore was the rare true freshman to start at cornerback in the Southeastern Conference in 2009. He had 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and nine passes defended, which earned him Freshman All-American honors by College Football News and Phil Steele.[5] He occasionally appeared on offense, with a career total of 3 attempted passes (2 complete) and 6 rushes during regular season games. He also completed a 29-yard pass to Alshon Jeffery in the 4th quarter of the 2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
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Professional career
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Pre-draft
Gilmore attended the NFL Scouting Combine and completed all of the combine drills, finishing second among all defensive backs in the short shuttle, tied for fourth in the 40-yard dash and the three-cone drill, finished sixth in the broad jump, and seventh in the vertical jump.[6] On March 28, 2012, Gilmore attended South Carolina's pro day, along with Alshon Jeffery, Antonio Allen, Melvin Ingram, and 11 other prospects.[7] He opted to only run positional drills for scouts and team representatives from all 32 NFL teams, including then-New York Jets head coach Rex Ryan.[8] At the conclusion of the pre-draft process, Gilmore was projected to be a first round pick by NFL draft analysts. He was ranked the second best cornerback prospect in the draft by DraftScout.com, ESPN analyst Mike Mayock, and NFL draft analyst Adam Rank.[9][10][11]
Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills selected Gilmore in the first round (10th overall) of the 2012 NFL draft.[15] He was the second cornerback selected behind Morris Claiborne and was the highest selected Gamecocks' cornerback since Dunta Robinson in 2004.
2012
On May 17, 2012, the Buffalo Bills signed Gilmore to a four–year, $12.08 million rookie contract that is fully guaranteed and also includes a signing bonus of $7.22 million with a fifth-year option.[16]
He entered training camp projected to be the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season, but had minor competition from Aaron Williams and Terrence McGee to earn the role following the departure of Drayton Florence.[17] Head coach Chan Gailey named Gilmore and Aaron Williams the starting cornerbacks to begin the regular season.[18]
On September 10, 2012, Gilmore made his professional regular season debut and earned his first career start in the Buffalo Bills' season-opener at the New York Jets and had five combined tackles (three solo) during a 48–28 loss. The following week, Gilmore set a season-high with seven solo tackles and also made three pass deflections as the Bills defeated the Kansas City Chiefs 35–17 in Week 2. In Week 4, he recorded seven combined tackles (five solo) and set a season-high with four pass deflections in the Bills 28–52 loss to the New England Patriots. On December 9, 2012, Gilmore had two solo tackles and made his first career interception on a pass by Sam Bradford to tight end Lance Kendricks and returned it for a 62–yard touchdown in the second quarter, but it was unfortunately overturned due a supposed holding penalty by defensive lineman Kyle Moore as the Bills lost 15–12 against the St. Louis Rams. On December 31, 2012, the Bills announced their decision to fire head coach Chan Gailey after finishing the 2012 NFL season with a 6–10 record.[19] He started all 16 games as a rookie in 2012 and had a total of 61 combined tackles (52 solo), 16 pass deflections, and one interception.[20]
2013
On January 6, 2013, the Buffalo Bills hired Syracuse head coach Doug Marrone as their new head coach.[21] Following the departure of Terrence McGee, the No. 24 became available and was immediately selected by Gilmore who opted to switch to No. 24 from the No. 27 he wore as a rookie.[22] He entered training camp slated as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback for the Bills under defensive coordinator Mike Pettine.[23] On August 24, 2013, Gilmore recorded five combined tackles before exiting during the third quarter of the Bills' 30–17 loss against the Washington Redskins in the third preseason game after injuring his wrist. On August 26, 2013, head coach Doug Marrone announced Gilmore had fractured his wrist during the game and had would require surgery. The Bills chose not to place Gilmore on injured reserve as he would have to remain inactive for a minimum of eight games and had a expected recovery time of six to eight weeks.[24] In his absence, Leodis McKelvin was named the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and was paired with the fairly inexperienced Justin Rogers.
Upon his return in Week 6, Justin Rogers was immediately benched and Gilmore began his first two games (Weeks 6–7) as the third cornerback on the depth chart behind Leodis McKelvin and Aaron Williams. In Week 9, he set a season-high with seven combined tackles (five solo) and had a pass deflection during a 23–13 loss against the Kansas City Chiefs. On December 18, 2013, Gilmore made two solo tackles, had two pass deflections, and had his first interception of the season on a pass by Mike Glennon to wide receiver Vincent Jackson during a 27–6 loss at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.[25] The following week, he had two solo tackles, a pass deflection, and helped secure the Bills' 27–20 victory at the Jacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 after intercepting a pass thrown by Chad Henne to running back Jordan Todman with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter. He finished the 2013 NFL season with 35 combined tackles (30 solo), ten pass deflections, and two interceptions in 11 games and nine starts.[26]
2014
On January 25, 2014, the Buffalo Bills hired former Detroit Lions' head coach Jim Schwartz to be their defensive coordinator following the departure of Mike Pettine who accepted the head coaching position with the Cleveland Browns.[27] Head coach Doug Marrone named Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin the starting cornerbacks to start the season with Corey Graham, Nickell Robey-Coleman, and Ross Cockrell as the backups.[28][29]
He was inactive for the Bills' 23–20 victory at the Chicago Bears in their Week 1 season-opener due to a groin injury.[30] On September 21, 2014, Gilmore set a season-high of six solo tackles during a 22–10 loss against the San Diego Chargers. In Week 8, Gilmore had five combined tackles (four solo), deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass attempt by Geno Smith during a 43–23 victory at the New York Jets.[31] On December 21 , 2014, Gilmore had one solo tackle before sustaining a concussion while attempting to tackle wide receiver Kenbrell Thompkins in the third quarter and hitting his head on the ground as the Bills lost 26–24 at the Oakland Raiders. He subsequently remained in concussion protocol and was inactive for the Bills' 17–9 win at the New England Patriots in Week 17.[32] He finished the season with 46 combined tackles (38 solo), six pass deflections, and three interceptions in 14 games and 14 starts.[26] The Buffalo Bills finished second in the AFC East during the 2014 NFL season with a 9–7 record but did not qualify for the playoffs. On December 31, 2014, Doug Marrone controversially announced his resignation as head coach after deciding to exercise an opt-out clause that was included in his contract.[33]
2015
On January 12, 2015, the Buffalo Bills hired recently fired former New York Jets' head coach Rex Ryan to be their 18th head coach.[34] On August 28, 2015, the Bills exercised the fifth–year option on Gilmore's rookie contract, that is a fully-guaranteed one–year, $11.08 million contract.[35] He entered training camp slated as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback under new defensive coordinator Dennis Thurman. He was named a starting cornerback to begin the season and was paired with 2015 rookie second-round pick Ronald Darby.[36]
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On September 13, 2015, Gilmore started in the Buffalo Bills' home-opener against the Indianapolis Colts and recorded a season-high six solo tackles and set a season-high with four pass deflections during a 27–14 victory. On October 11, 2015, he made one solo tackle, tied his season-high of four pass deflections, and sealed a 14–13 victory the Tennessee Titans with a fourth quarter interception on a pass by Marcus Mariota to wide receiver Kendall Wright with 1:41 remaining. On December 6, 2015, Gilmore had two solo tackles before exiting during the third quarter of a 30–21 victory against the Houston Texans after injuring his shoulder while making a tackle on running back Akeem Hunt.[37] On December 16, 2015, the Bills officially placed Gilmore on injured reserve and he remained inactive for the last four games (Weeks 14–17) of the season after undergoing surgery to repair his torn labrum the previous day.[38] He finished the 2015 NFL season with a total of 36 solo tackles, 18 pass deflections, and three interceptions in 12 games and 12 starts.[39] The Buffalo Bills did not qualify for the playoffs after finishing with an 8–8 record in 2015.[40] He received an overall grade of 82.2 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 21st among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2015.[41]
2016
He returned as the No. 1 starting cornerback in 2016 and remained paired together with Ronald Darby.[42] In Week 2, he set a season-high with six solo tackles during a 37–31 loss to the New York Jets. On September 25, 2016, Gilmore made three combined tackles (two solo), set a season-high with four pass deflections, had his first two interception game of his career after picking off two passes by Carson Palmer during a 33–18 victory against the Arizona Cardinals.[43] During Week 11, he recorded six combined tackles (five solo), made three pass deflections, and tied his season-high of two interceptions on passes by Andy Dalton during a 16–12 at the Cincinnati Bengals.[44] On December 27, 2016, the Buffalo Bills fired head coach Rex Ryan after falling to 7–8 and appointed running backs coach Anthony Lynn to interim head coach for the final game of the season.[45] Gilmore was unfortunately inactive for the Bills' 30–10 loss at the New York Jets in Week 17 after he sustained a concussion the previous week against the Miami Dolphins.[46] He finished the 2016 NFL season with 48 combined tackles (42 solo), 12 pass deflections, and set a career-high with five interceptions in 15 games and 15 starts.[47] His five interceptions were the most by a Bills' player since Jairus Byrd intercepted five passes in 2012.[48] On January 23, 2017, the Buffalo Bills announced that Gilmore was voted to the 2017 Pro Bowl. He also received the Ed Block Courage Award.[49] He received an overall grade of 73.2 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 60th among 111 qualifying cornerbacks in 2016.[41]
2017
On January 11, 2017, the Buffalo Bills hired Carolina Panthers' defensive coordinator Sean McDermott as the 19th head coach in franchise history.[50] Gilmore entered free agency for the first time in his career after not receiving a contract offer from the Bills. He entered contract negotiations with the Chicago Bears, but was unable to reach a deal.[51]
New England Patriots
On March 9, 2017, the New England Patriots signed Gilmore to a five–year, $65 million contract that includes $40 million guaranteed, $31 million guaranteed upon signing, and also includes an initial signing bonus of $18 million.[52][53][16]
He entered training camp as a slated to be a starting cornerback under defensive coordinator Matt Patricia following the departure of Logan Ryan. Head coach Bill Belichick named Gilmore the No. 1 starting cornerback, alongside Malcolm Butler, to begin the season and he led a cornerback group including Jonathan Jones and Eric Rowe.[54]
In Week 3, he had four solo tackles, one pass deflection, and had his first interception with the Patriots, on a pass thrown by Deshaun Watson to wide receiver DeAndre Hopkins during a narrow 36–33 victory against the Houston Texans. On October 5, 2017, Gilmore had five solo tackles before exiting during the second quarter of a 19–14 win at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers after sustaining a concussion following an accidental helmet-to-helmet collision with wide receiver Mike Evans. He subsequently remained inactive in concussion protocol for the next three games (Weeks 6–8).[55] In Week 15, Gilmore set a season-high of eight solo tackles and broke up a pass during a 27–24 victory at the Pittsburgh Steelers. He finished his first season with the Patriots with a career-high 50 combined tackles (47 solo), nine pass deflections, and two interceptions in 13 games and 13 starts.[56] Pro Football Focus had Gilmore finish the season with an overall grade of 89.4.
The New England Patriots finished atop the AFC East with a 13–3 record during the 2017 NFL season and clinched a playoff berth as well as a first-round bye. On January 13, 2018, Gilmore started in his first career playoff game and made one tackle and two pass deflections during a 35–14 victory against the Tennessee Titans in the AFC Divisional round. In the AFC Championship Game, Gilmore had five solo tackles and made two pass deflections in the Patriots' 24–20 victory against the Jacksonville Jaguars and his former Bills' head coach Doug Marrone.[57] The Patriots' victory advanced them to the Super Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles and his former defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills, Jim Schwartz.[58][59] On February 4, 2018, Gilmore started in Super Bowl LII and recorded four solo tackles and two pass deflections during the Patriots' 41–33 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles.[60]
2018
Head coach Bill Belichick took over defensive coordinator duties after Matt Patricia departed to become the head coach of the Detroit Lions. Throughout training camp, Gilmore was slated as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure of Malcolm Butler. He began the season as a starting cornerback, alongside Eric Rowe, and led a young cornerback group that included Jonathan Jones and rookies Duke Dawson, Keion Crossen, and J. C. Jackson.[61]
On September 9, 2018, Gilmore started in the New England Patriots' home-opener against the Houston Texans and had a season-high eight combined tackles (seven solo), two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Deshaun Watson to wide receiver Vyncint Smith during their 27–20 victory. In Week 9 against the Green Bay Packers, he held Packers star receiver Davante Adams to two catches for 15 yards on four targets and recovered an Aaron Jones fumble early in the fourth quarter that led to the Patriots scoring 14 unanswered points in their 31–17 win. In Week 10, he had four solo tackles, a forced fumble, and had his first career sack on Marcus Mariota for a seven–yard loss during a 34–10 loss at the Tennessee Titans. On November 25, 2018, Gilmore had one tackle, a season-high three pass deflections, and had an interception on a pass attempt by Josh McCown to wide receiver Robby Anderson during a 27–13 victory at the New York Jets. He started all 16 games for the first time since his rookie season and had a total of 45 combined tackles (40 solo), a career-high 20 pass deflections, two interceptions, two forced fumbles, a fumble recovery, and one sack. His 20 passes defensed led the entite league in 2018 and Gilmore was named to the 2019 Pro Bowl, earning Pro Bowl honors for the second time in his career. He was also named first-team All-Pro and was the highest graded cornerback in the league by Pro Football Focus.[62][63] He received an overall grade of 90.9 from Pro Football Focus, which was a career-high and ranked first among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2019.[64]
The New England Patriots finished the 2018 NFL season second in their division with a record of 11–5 to clinch a playoff berth and first-round bye. On January 13, 2019, Gilmore started in the Divisional Round against the Los Angeles Chargers and led the team with two pass deflections, made one solo tackle, and intercepted a pass by Philip Rivers to wide receiver Keenan Allen as the Patriots defeated the Chargers 41–28.[65] In the following game, he was limited to one solo tackle during a 37–31 overtime victory at the Kansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game to advance to their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance.[66] On February 3, 2019, Gilmore started in Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams and had five solo tackles, led both teams with three pass deflections, and my helped secure the Patriots 13–3 victory with an interception late in the fourth quarter on a pass throw by quarterback Jared Goff to wide receiver Brandin Cooks.[67] His performance earned him his first career Super Bowl ring.
2019
He returned to training camp as the Patriots' de facto No. 1 starting cornerback and led a young group of corners that included rookies Joejuan Williams and Ken Webster, Jonathan Jones, J. C. Jackson, and Duke Dawson. Head coach Bill Belichick named him the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him with Jason McCourty.[68]
On September 15, 2019, Gilmore made two tackles, three pass deflections, and scored his first career touchdown on a pick-six after intercepting a pass by former teammate Ryan Fitzpatrick to wide receiver DeVante Parker and returned it for a 54–yard touchdown during a 43–0 win at the Miami Dolphins.[69] In Week 6, he had three combined tackles (two solo), set a career-high with five pass deflections, and had a highlight toe-tapping sideline interception off of a pass by Daniel Jones to fullback Rhett Ellison as the Patriots defeated the New York Giants 35–14.[70] He allowed a 0.0 passer rating when targeted during the game.[71] After the game, former Patriots' cornerback Darrelle Revis stated that Gilmore is "by far the best corner in the league right now."[72] The following week, Gilmore made one pass deflection and had his second consecutive game with an interception after picking off a pass by Sam Darnold to Robby Anderson during a 33–0 victory at the New York Jets.[73] His performance throughout the month of October earned him AFC Defensive Player of the Month.[74] In Week 12, he recorded five combined tackles (four solo), two pass deflections, and set a new career-high with his fourth interception of the season after picking off as pass by Dak Prescott to wide receiver Amari Cooper on the first offensive play of the game as the Patriots defeated the Dallas Cowboys 13–9.[75] On December 15, 2019, Gilmore had two solo tackles, four pass deflections, two interceptions, and returned one for a touchdown during a 34–13 victory at the Cincinnati Bengals. His pick-six occurred on an interception by Andy Dalton to wide receiver Tyler Boyd and returned it for a 65–yard touchdown.[76][77] Gilmore did not allow a touchdown reception until Week 16 when he allowed a 53–yard touchdown reception by Bills' wide receiver John Brown, although the Patriots still defeated the Buffalo Bills 24–17. In Week 17, he set a season-high with eight combined tackles (five solo), but had his worst performance of the season, allowing eight receptions for 137 receiving yards by DeVante Parker. Although he did not allow a touchdown, the Patriots lost 27–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins.[78][79] He finished the 2019 NFL season with 53 combined tackles (44 solo), 20 passes defended, and a league-leading six interceptions, two of which were returned for touchdowns.
He received an overall grade of 82.9 from Pro Football Focus in 2019 and was awarded the Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award in recognition of his excellent season, becoming the first member of the New England Patriots to win the award in their 50 year span. He was also the first cornerback to win the award since Charles Woodson did in 2009 with the Green Bay Packers.[80][81]
2020
He returned as the No. 1 starting cornerback in his third season under Bill Belichick acting as defensive coordinator. He was named a starting cornerback to begin the season and played alongside Jason McCourty, Jonathan Jones, and J. C. Jackson.[82]
On September 13, 2020, he started in the New England Patriots' home-opener against the Miami Dolphins and had five combined tackles (four solo), a pass deflection, and had his first and only interception of the season on a pass by Ryan Fitzpatrick to wide receiver Preston Williams during their 21–11 victory.[83] On October 7, 2020, Gilmore tested positive for COVID-19 and was placed on the reserve/COVID-19 list by the team.[84] On October 15, 2020, he was added back to their active roster.[85] On October 30, 2020, it was reported by Ian Rapoport that Gilmore had tweaked his knee during practiced and was given an MRI. His knee injury was not considered to be serious, but Gilmore would remain inactive for three games (Weeks 8–10).[86] On November 22, 2020, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (four solo) during a 20–27 loss at the Houston Texans. On December 20, 2020, Gilmore recorded two solo tackles before exiting in the second quarter of a 12–22 loss at the Miami Dolphins after he was injured by accidentally slipping on the turf while covering a pass attempt to wide receiver Mack Hollins.[87] On December 23, 2020, the Patriots officially placed him on injured reserve as he was required to undergo surgery to repair his torn quadriceps and was inactive for the last two games of the season (Weeks 16–17).[88] He finished the 2020 NFL season with 37 combined tackles (30 solo), three pass deflections, and an interception through 11 games and 11 starts.[89] Although he had a disappointing season in 2020, Gilmore was unexpectedly named to the 2021 Pro Bowl. He received an overall grade of 61.0 from Pro Football Focus in 2020.[90]
2021
On August 31, 2021, Gilmore was placed on the reserve/physically unable to perform list to start the season due to the quad injury he suffered the previous season.[91]
Carolina Panthers
On October 6, 2021, the Carolina Panthers acquired Gilmore from the New England Patriots in a trade for a sixth-round selection (#187-Kayshon Boutte) in the 2023 NFL draft.[92] The Patriots decision to trade Gilmore was after they were unable to reach a new contract agreement with him. The Panthers trade was necessitated following 2021 first-round pick Jaycee Horn being placed on injured reserve after fracturing his foot in Week 3.
Due to his quadriceps injury, Gilmore remained on the PUP/reserve list until Week 8. Upon being activated and joining the active roster, Gilmore was named a backup and was listed as the No. 4 cornerback on the depth chart behind Donte Jackson, A. J. Bouye, and Keith Taylor. On October 31, 2021, Gilmore made his season debut and recorded two combined tackles (one solo), made one pass deflection, and helped secure a 19–13 victory at the Atlanta Falcons by intercepting a pass by Matt Ryan to tight end Kyle Pitts with 1:58 remaining in the game. The following week, Gilmore recorded two solo tackles, one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Mac Jones during a 24–6 loss to his former team, the New England Patriots in Week 15. He was inactive for the last two games of the season (Weeks 17–18) after injuring his groin. He finished the 2021 NFL season with only 16 combined tackles (15 solo), two pass deflections, and two interceptions in eight games and three starts.[93] Despite playing in a small number of games, he was named to the 2022 Pro Bowl. He received an overall grade of 77.1 from Pro Football Focus in 2021.[94]
Indianapolis Colts
2022
On April 18, 2022, the Indianapolis Colts signed Gilmore to a two–year, $20.00 million contract that includes $14.00 million guaranteed, $9.51 million guaranteed upon signing, and an initial signing bonus of $4.00 million.[16] The contract has incentives that increase the possible maximum value to $23.00 million.[95] He entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback following the departure of Xavier Rhodes and Rock Ya-Sin. Head coach Frank Reich named Gilmore the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him with Kenny Moore II.[96]
On October 6, 2022, Gilmore made five combined tackles (four solo), two pass deflections, and helped send the game at the Denver Broncos into overtime with a 9–9 tie by intercepting a pass by Russell Wilson to wide receiver Tyrie Cleveland with 2:19 left in the game. The Colts went on to defeat the Broncos 12–9 in overtime to win their Week 5 matchup. In Week 13, he recorded six combined tackles (five solo), made two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Dak Prescott to wide receiver Michael Gallup during a 19–54 loss at the Dallas Cowboys. On December 17, 2022, he recorded seven combined tackles (six solo) and set a season-high with three pass deflections during a 36–39 overtime loss at the Minnesota Vikings.[97] He was inactive for the Colts' 31–32 loss to the Houston Texans in Week 18 after injuring his wrist.[98] He finished the 2022 NFL season with a total of 66 combined tackles (53 solo), 11 pass breakups, and two interceptions in 16 games and 16 starts.[26] He received an overall grade of 79.1 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 9th amongst all qualifying cornerbacks in 2022.[99] He completed the season with a coverage grade of 81.1 from PFF.
Dallas Cowboys
2023
On March 14, 2023, the Indianapolis Colts traded Gilmore to the Dallas Cowboys in exchange for a compensatory fifth-round selection (#176-Evan Hull) in the 2023 NFL draft.[100] The Cowboys acquired him due to an injury to Jourdan Lewis that required surgery and the departure of Anthony Brown. He entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback under defensive coordinator Dan Quinn.[101] Head coach Mike McCarthy named him a starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him with Trevon Diggs.[102]
On September 10, 2023, Gilmore started in the Dallas Cowboys' season-opener at the New York Giants and recorded four solo tackles, set a season-high with three pass deflections, and had his first interception as a part of the Cowboys off a pass attempt thrown by Daniel Jones to tight end Darren Waller during a 40–0 shutout victory.[103] In Week 3, All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs suffered a season-ending torn ACL at the Arizona Cardinals and would remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season. In his absence, Gilmore was paired with DaRon Bland. In Week 6, Gilmore recorded three solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and secured the Cowboys' 20–17 victory at the Los Angeles Chargers with an interception on a pass by Justin Herbert to wide receiver Quentin Johnston with 1:31 remaining in the game. On December 10, 2023, he set a new season-high with nine solo tackles as the Cowboys defeated the Philadelphia Eagles 33–13. In Week 18, Gilmore made six solo tackles and a pass deflection before exiting in the third quarter of a 38–10 victory at the Washington Commanders after suffering a torn labrum. He started in all 17 regular season games, finishing with 68 combined tackles (54 solo), 13 passes defended, two interceptions, and one forced fumble.[104] He received an overall grade of 71.2 from Pro Football Focus in 2023.[105]
Minnesota Vikings
2024
On August 18, 2024, the Minnesota Vikings signed Gilmore to a fully-guaranteed one–year, $7.00 million contract that includes an initial signing bonus of $3.50 million and has a maximum value of $10.00 million with incentives.[106] He reunited with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was the linebackers coach with the New England Patriots. Upon arrival to training camp, he was slated as the de facto No. 1 starting cornerback. He was named the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and was the with Byron Murphy.
In Week 2, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (five solo) as the Vikings defeated the San Francisco 49ers 23–17. On October 6, 2024, Gilmore recorded six combined tackles (five solo), set a season-high with two pass deflections, and secured a 17–23 victory against the New York Jets with an interception on a pass thrown by Aaron Rodgers to wide receiver Mike Williams with only 49 seconds remaining in the game.[107] He was inactive for two games (Weeks 14–15) due to a hamstring injury.[98] He finished with a total of 56 combined tackles (40 solo), nine pass deflections, and one interception in 15 games and 15 starts.[108] He received an overall grade of 63.9 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked 94th amongst 222 qualifying cornerbacks in 2024.[109]
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NFL career statistics
Regular season
Postseason
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Personal life
Gilmore is the son of Linda and Steve Gilmore. On July 12, 2014, Gilmore married his college sweetheart, Gabrielle Glenn.[110] They have three children together, Sebastian, Gael and Gisele. Gabrielle, also an athlete, was a collegiate sprinter for University of South Carolina.[111]
Gilmore has a younger brother named Steven who played cornerback for Marshall[112] and spent some time on the Detroit Lions roster.
Gilmore grew up as a fan of the Dallas Cowboys and, upon joining the team, surprised his uncle with the news, much to both of their excitement.[113]
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References
External links
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