FOXBOROUGH, MASSACHUSETTS - JANUARY 04: Stephon Gilmore #24 of the New England Patriots lines up during the AFC Wild Card Playoff game against the Tennessee Titans at Gillette Stadium on January 04, 2020 in Foxborough, Massachusetts. (Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)Despite winning NFL Defensive Player of the Year honors a little over a year ago, New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore could be moved this offseason.
According to NFL insider Jason La Canfora, NFL general managers collectively believe it’s a “foregone conclusion” that Gilmore will be traded. Gilmore is heading into a contract year, but no extension appears to be in the works – and the Patriots wouldn’t want to let him just leave for nothing in free agency.
“Most GMs have considered it a foregone conclusion that the Patriots would trade top corner Stephon Gilmore this offseason,” La Canfora wrote on Monday. “And I haven’t heard anything about a contract extension, so a trade still seems like an eventuality.”
Injuries and COVID-19 limited Gilmore to 11 games in 2020. He still made the Pro Bowl though as the Patriots defense finished top-15 in the league.
Report: NFL GMs Consider A Stephon Gilmore Trade To Be A 'Foregone Conclusion' https://t.co/OgS0N9CGVF
— WBZ Boston Sports (@wbzsports) March 2, 2021
Stephon Gilmore is a four-time Pro Bowler and a two-time First-Team All-Pro. Between 2018 and 2019 he was an absolute shutdown corner, logging eight interceptions, two pick-sixes and 40 passes defended in coverage.
But he’s due to make over $16 million for the Patriots in 2021, and at 31 years of age the Patriots might be concerned that the dip they saw in 2020 might be a sign of things to come.
Luckily for them, elite cornerbacks are at premium. The Patriots should be able to get some kind of return if they’re determined to trade him.
Where will Stephon Gilmore play in 2021?
