We are now in the back end of July, and cornerback Stephon Gilmore remains unsigned.
It’s a rather stunning turn of events, given that Gilmore is coming off of a productive 2023 campaign with the Dallas Cowboys in which he registered 68 tackles, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble and 14 passes defended.
The former All-Pro defender is surprised that he is still a free agent and told NFL insider Josina Anderson as much this week.
“Honestly, I’m still being patient and staying ready until teams see what they have in training camp; but you mean to tell me among 32 teams that there are 64 starting corners that are better than me? I don’t think that,” Gilmore said. “If teams want to win, I think they should sign the best players. I know I’m still a starter in this league. I started games last year, but the season doesn’t start until September, we got a while.”
Initially, it was looking like Gilmore was waiting for the right opportunity, but based on these comments, it seems like he is generating little to no interest across the league, which is certainly puzzling.
There was a time Stephon Gilmore was among the NFL’s elite
Gilmore is no longer one of the very best cornerbacks in football, but there was a time where he was a top-flight player at his position.
The 33-year-old, who played his collegiate football at the University of South Carolina, was originally selected by the Buffalo Bills with the 10th overall pick of the 2012 NFL Draft.
He spent the first five years of his career with the Bills, but didn’t really begin to earn recognition until his final season with the club when he was elected to the Pro Bowl.
Gilmore then went on to sign with the New England Patriots, where he enjoyed the best stretch of his NFL tenure. During four-plus seasons with the Patriots, he made three Pro Bowl appearances while also earning a pair of First-Team All-Pro selections. Most importantly, Gilmore helped lead New England to a Super Bowl title during the 2018-19 campaign.
Since then, the Rock Hill, S.C. native has bounced around a bit, playing for the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts and, most recently, the Cowboys.
We’ll see if Gilmore is able to find a home this summer.
