.jpg) Gilmore with theCarolina Panthers in 2021 | |||||||||||||||||
| Profile | |||||||||||||||||
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| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||||
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| Born | (1990-09-19)September 19, 1990 (age 35) Rock Hill, South Carolina, U.S. | ||||||||||||||||
| Height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||||
| Weight | 190 lb (86 kg) | ||||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||||
| High school | South Pointe(Rock Hill, South Carolina) | ||||||||||||||||
| College | South Carolina (2009–2011) | ||||||||||||||||
| NFL draft | 2012: 1st round, 10th overall pick | ||||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||||
| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||||
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Stephon Stiles Gilmore[1] (born September 19, 1990) is an American professionalfootballcornerback who played in theNational Football League (NFL) for 13 seasons. He playedcollege football for theSouth Carolina Gamecocks, receiving third-teamAll-American and first-teamAll-SEC honors in 2010. Gilmore was selected 10th overall in the2012 NFL draft by theBuffalo Bills, where he spent his first five seasons and earnedPro Bowl honors in 2016.
The following year, Gilmore joined theNew England Patriots. With the Patriots, he was namedDefensive Player of the Year in 2019 after co-leading the league in interceptions. Gilmore also extended his Pro Bowl selections to four, received two first-teamAll-Pro selections, and was a member of the team that wonSuper Bowl LIII. After four years in New England, Gilmore played one season for theCarolina Panthers, receiving a fifth Pro Bowl selection. He spent his next three seasons with theIndianapolis Colts,Dallas Cowboys, andMinnesota Vikings.
Gilmore attendedSouth Pointe High School inRock Hill, South Carolina, where he played football, basketball and ran track. Infootball, he was a two-way player as quarterback and defensive back, and helped his team to a perfect 15–0 record and theSCHSL AAAA Division II title as a senior. Among his teammates wereDeVonte Holloman andJadeveon Clowney. Playingquarterback 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 byThe State and was named an All-American byParade andEA Sports. He was also named Mr. Football for the state of South Carolina.
Intrack & field, Gilmore competed as a sprinter during his junior year in 2008. He recorded a PR of 11.41 seconds in the100 meters in the prelims of the Taco Bell Classic.[2] At the York County Meet, he took 5th in the200 meters, at 23.14 seconds, and placed 9th in the400 meters, with a time of 54.94 seconds.[3] He was also a member of the4 × 100 m relay (43.10s) squad.
Considered a four-star recruit byRivals.com, Gilmore was listed as the No. 2 overall prospect from South Carolina in the class of 2009.[4] He chose South Carolina overAlabama,Tennessee, andClemson.
Gilmore graduated from South Pointe High School in December 2008 to enroll at theUniversity 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 theGamecocks, Gilmore was the raretrue freshman to start at cornerback in theSoutheastern Conference in 2009. He had 52 tackles, five tackles for loss, two sacks, and nine passes defended, which earned him Freshman All-American honors byCollege Football News andPhil 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 toAlshon Jeffery in the 4th quarter of the2010 Chick-fil-A Bowl.
Gilmore attended theNFL 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 thethree-cone drill, finished sixth in the broad jump, and seventh in the vertical jump.[6] On March 28, 2012, Gilmore attended South Carolina'spro day, along withAlshon 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 coachRex 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 analystMike Mayock, and NFL draft analyst Adam Rank.[9][10][11]
| External videos | |
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 Stephon Gilmore's Combine workout |
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft0+1⁄2 in (1.84 m) | 190 lb (86 kg) | 31 in (0.79 m) | 9+1⁄4 in (0.23 m) | 4.40 s | 1.52 s | 2.40 s | 3.94 s | 6.61 s | 36 in (0.91 m) | 10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) | 15 reps | |
| All values fromNFL Combine[12][13][14] | ||||||||||||
TheBuffalo Bills selected Gilmore in the first round (10th overall) of the2012 NFL draft.[15] He was the second cornerback selected behindMorris Claiborne and was the highest selected Gamecocks' cornerback sinceDunta Robinson in2004.
| External videos | |
|---|---|
| Buffalo Bills select Stephon Gilmore |
On May 17, 2012, theBuffalo Bills signed Gilmore to a four–year, $12.08 million rookiecontract that is fully guaranteed and also includes asigning 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 fromAaron Williams andTerrence McGee to earn the role following the departure ofDrayton Florence.[17] Head coachChan 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 theNew 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 theKansas 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 theNew England Patriots. On December 9, 2012, Gilmore had two solo tackles and made his first career interception on a pass bySam Bradford to tight endLance 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 linemanKyle Moore as the Bills lost 15–12 against theSt. Louis Rams. On December 31, 2012, the Bills announced their decision to fire head coach Chan Gailey after finishing the2012 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]
On January 6, 2013, theBuffalo Bills hiredSyracuse head coachDoug Marrone as their new head coach.[21] Following the departure ofTerrence 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 thede facto No. 1 starting cornerback for the Bills under defensive coordinatorMike Pettine.[23] On August 24, 2013, Gilmore recorded five combined tackles before exiting during the third quarter of the Bills' 30–17 loss against theWashington Redskins in the third preseason game after injuring his wrist. On August 26, 2013, head coachDoug Marrone announced Gilmore had fractured his wrist during the game and had would require surgery. The Bills chose not to place Gilmore oninjured 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 inexperiencedJustin 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 theKansas 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 byMike Glennon to wide receiverVincent Jackson during a 27–6 loss at theTampa Bay Buccaneers.[25] The following week, he had two solo tackles, a pass deflection, and helped secure the Bills' 27–20 victory at theJacksonville Jaguars in Week 15 after intercepting a pass thrown byChad Henne to running backJordan Todman with 3:15 left in the fourth quarter. He finished the2013 NFL season with 35 combined tackles (30 solo), ten pass deflections, and two interceptions in 11 games and nine starts.[26]
On January 25, 2014, theBuffalo Bills hired formerDetroit Lions' head coachJim Schwartz to be their defensive coordinator following the departure ofMike Pettine who accepted the head coaching position with theCleveland Browns.[27] Head coach Doug Marrone named Gilmore and Leodis McKelvin the starting cornerbacks to start the season withCorey Graham,Nickell Robey-Coleman, andRoss Cockrell as the backups.[28][29]
He was inactive for the Bills' 23–20 victory at theChicago Bears in their Week 1 season-opener due to agroin injury.[30] On September 21, 2014, Gilmore set a season-high of six solo tackles during a 22–10 loss against theSan Diego Chargers. In Week 8, Gilmore had five combined tackles (four solo), deflected a pass, and intercepted a pass attempt byGeno Smith during a 43–23 victory at theNew York Jets.[31] On December 21 , 2014, Gilmore had one solo tackle before sustaining aconcussion while attempting to tackle wide receiverKenbrell Thompkins in the third quarter and hitting his head on the ground as the Bills lost 26–24 at theOakland Raiders. He subsequently remained in concussion protocol and was inactive for the Bills' 17–9 win at theNew 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 theAFC East during the2014 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]
On January 12, 2015, theBuffalo Bills hired recently fired formerNew York Jets' head coachRex Ryan to be their18th 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 thede facto No. 1 starting cornerback under new defensive coordinatorDennis Thurman. He was named a starting cornerback to begin the season and was paired with2015 rookie second-round pickRonald Darby.[36]
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On September 13, 2015, Gilmore started in the Buffalo Bills' home-opener against theIndianapolis 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 theTennessee Titans with a fourth quarter interception on a pass byMarcus Mariota to wide receiverKendall 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 theHouston Texans after injuring his shoulder while making a tackle on running backAkeem Hunt.[37] On December 16, 2015, the Bills officially placed Gilmore oninjured reserve and he remained inactive for the last four games (Weeks 14–17) of the season after undergoing surgery to repair historn labrum the previous day.[38] He finished the2015 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]
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 theNew 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 byCarson Palmer during a 33–18 victory against theArizona 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 byAndy Dalton during a 16–12 at theCincinnati Bengals.[44] On December 27, 2016, the Buffalo Bills fired head coachRex Ryan after falling to 7–8 and appointed running backs coachAnthony 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 theMiami Dolphins.[46]He finished the2016 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 sinceJairus Byrd intercepted five passes in2012.[48] On January 23, 2017, the Buffalo Bills announced that Gilmore was voted to the2017 Pro Bowl. He also received theEd 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]
On January 11, 2017, theBuffalo Bills hiredCarolina Panthers' defensive coordinatorSean McDermott as the 19th head coach in franchise history.[50] Gilmore enteredfree agency for the first time in his career after not receiving a contract offer from the Bills. He entered contract negotiations with theChicago Bears, but was unable to reach a deal.[51]
On March 9, 2017, theNew 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 coordinatorMatt Patricia following the departure ofLogan Ryan. Head coachBill Belichick named Gilmore the No. 1 starting cornerback, alongsideMalcolm Butler, to begin the season and he led a cornerback group includingJonathan Jones andEric 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 byDeshaun Watson to wide receiverDeAndre Hopkins during a narrow 36–33 victory against theHouston Texans. On October 5, 2017, Gilmore had five solo tackles before exiting during the second quarter of a 19–14 win at theTampa Bay Buccaneers after sustaining a concussion following an accidental helmet-to-helmet collision with wide receiverMike 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 thePittsburgh 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.
TheNew England Patriots finished atop theAFC East with a 13–3 record during the2017 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 theTennessee 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 theJacksonville Jaguars and his former Bills' head coachDoug Marrone.[57] The Patriots' victory advanced them to theSuper Bowl against the Philadelphia Eagles and his former defensive coordinator with the Buffalo Bills,Jim Schwartz.[58][59] On February 4, 2018, Gilmore started inSuper Bowl LII and recorded four solo tackles and two pass deflections during the Patriots' 41–33 loss to thePhiladelphia Eagles.[60]
Head coach Bill Belichick took over defensive coordinator duties after Matt Patricia departed to become the head coach of theDetroit Lions. Throughout training camp, Gilmore was slated as thede facto No. 1 starting cornerback following the departure of Malcolm Butler. He began the season as a starting cornerback, alongsideEric Rowe, and led a young cornerback group that included Jonathan Jones and rookiesDuke Dawson,Keion Crossen, andJ. C. Jackson.[61]
On September 9, 2018, Gilmore started in theNew England Patriots' home-opener against theHouston Texans and had a season-high eight combined tackles (seven solo), two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass byDeshaun Watson to wide receiverVyncint Smith during their 27–20 victory. In Week 9 against theGreen Bay Packers, he held Packers star receiverDavante Adams to two catches for 15 yards on four targets and recovered anAaron 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 onMarcus Mariota for a seven–yard loss during a 34–10 loss at theTennessee Titans. On November 25, 2018, Gilmore had one tackle, a season-high three pass deflections, and had an interception on a pass attempt byJosh McCown to wide receiverRobby Anderson during a 27–13 victory at theNew 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 the2019 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 byPro 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 the2018 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 theLos Angeles Chargers and led the team with two pass deflections, made one solo tackle, and intercepted a pass byPhilip Rivers to wide receiverKeenan 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 theKansas City Chiefs in the AFC Championship Game to advance to their second consecutive Super Bowl appearance.[66] On February 3, 2019, Gilmore started inSuper Bowl LIII against theLos Angeles Rams and had five solo tackles, led both teams with three pass deflections and helped secure the Patriots 13–3 victory with an interception late in the fourth quarter on a pass throw by quarterbackJared Goff to wide receiverBrandin Cooks.[67] His performance earned him his first careerSuper Bowl ring.
He returned to training camp as the Patriots'de facto No. 1 starting cornerback and led a young group of corners that included rookiesJoejuan Williams andKen Webster,Jonathan Jones,J. C. Jackson, andDuke Dawson. Head coach Bill Belichick named him the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him withJason 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 teammateRyan Fitzpatrick to wide receiverDeVante Parker and returned it for a 54–yard touchdown during a 43–0 win at theMiami 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 byDaniel Jones to fullbackRhett Ellison as the Patriots defeated theNew York Giants 35–14.[70] He allowed a 0.0 passer rating when targeted during the game.[71] After the game, former Patriots' cornerbackDarrelle 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 bySam Darnold to Robby Anderson during a 33–0 victory at theNew York Jets.[73] His performance throughout the month of October earned himAFC 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 byDak Prescott to wide receiverAmari Cooper on the first offensive play of the game as the Patriots defeated theDallas 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 theCincinnati Bengals. His pick-six occurred on an interception byAndy Dalton to wide receiverTyler 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 receiverJohn Brown, although the Patriots still defeated theBuffalo 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 byDeVante Parker. Although he did not allow a touchdown, the Patriots lost 27–24 loss to the Miami Dolphins.[78][79] He finished the2019 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 fromPro Football Focus in 2019 and was awarded theAssociated 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 sinceCharles Woodson did in2009 with theGreen Bay Packers.[80][81]
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 theNew England Patriots' home-opener against theMiami 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 receiverPreston Williams during their 21–11 victory.[83] On October 7, 2020, Gilmore tested positive forCOVID-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 byIan Rapoport that Gilmore had tweaked his knee during practiced and was given anMRI. 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 theHouston Texans. On December 20, 2020, Gilmore recorded two solo tackles before exiting in the second quarter of a 12–22 loss at theMiami Dolphins after he was injured by accidentally slipping on the turf while covering a pass attempt to wide receiverMack Hollins.[87] On December 23, 2020, the Patriots officially placed him oninjured reserve as he was required to undergo surgery to repair his tornquadriceps and was inactive for the last two games of the season (Weeks 16–17).[88] He finished the2020 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 the2021 Pro Bowl. He received an overall grade of 61.0 fromPro Football Focus in 2020.[90]
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]
On October 6, 2021, theCarolina Panthers acquired Gilmore from the New England Patriots in a trade for a sixth-round selection (#187-Kayshon Boutte) in the2023 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 pickJaycee 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 behindDonte Jackson,A. J. Bouye, andKeith 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 theAtlanta Falcons by intercepting a pass byMatt Ryan to tight endKyle Pitts with 1:58 remaining in the game. The following week, Gilmore recorded two solo tackles, one pass deflection, and intercepted a pass byMac Jones during a 24–6 loss to his former team, theNew 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 the2021 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 the2022 Pro Bowl. He received an overall grade of 77.1 from Pro Football Focus in 2021.[94]
On April 18, 2022, theIndianapolis 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 initialsigning 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 ofXavier Rhodes andRock Ya-Sin. Head coachFrank Reich named Gilmore the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him withKenny Moore II.[96]
On October 6, 2022, Gilmore made five combined tackles (four solo), two pass deflections, and helped send the game at theDenver Broncos into overtime with a 9–9 tie by intercepting a pass byRussell Wilson to wide receiverTyrie 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 byDak Prescott to wide receiverMichael Gallup during a 19–54 loss at theDallas 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 theMinnesota Vikings.[97] He was inactive for the Colts' 31–32 loss to theHouston Texans in Week 18 after injuring his wrist.[98] He finished the2022 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.
On March 14, 2023, theIndianapolis Colts traded Gilmore to theDallas Cowboys in exchange for a compensatory fifth-round selection (#176-Evan Hull) in the2023 NFL draft.[100] The Cowboys acquired him due to an injury toJourdan Lewis that required surgery and the departure ofAnthony Brown. He entered training camp slated as a starting cornerback under defensive coordinatorDan Quinn.[101] Head coachMike McCarthy named him a starting cornerback to begin the season and paired him withTrevon Diggs.[102]
On September 10, 2023, Gilmore started in theDallas Cowboys' season-opener at theNew 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 byDaniel Jones to tight endDarren Waller during a 40–0 shutout victory.[103] In Week 3, All-Pro cornerbackTrevon Diggs suffered a season-ending torn ACL at theArizona Cardinals and would remain on injured reserve for the rest of the season. In his absence, Gilmore was paired withDaRon Bland. In Week 6, Gilmore recorded three solo tackles, made one pass deflection, and secured the Cowboys' 20–17 victory at theLos Angeles Chargers with an interception on a pass byJustin Herbert to wide receiverQuentin 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 thePhiladelphia 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 theWashington Commanders after suffering a tornlabrum. 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]
On August 18, 2024, theMinnesota Vikings signed Gilmore to a fully-guaranteed one–year, $7.00 million contract that includes an initialsigning bonus of $3.50 million and has a maximum value of $10.00 million with incentives.[106] He reunited with defensive coordinatorBrian Flores, who was the linebackers coach with theNew England Patriots. Upon arrival to training camp, he was slated as thede facto No. 1 starting cornerback. He was named the No. 1 starting cornerback to begin the season and was the withByron Murphy.
In Week 2, he set a season-high with six combined tackles (five solo) as the Vikings defeated theSan 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 theNew York Jets with an interception on a pass thrown byAaron Rodgers to wide receiverMike 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 fromPro Football Focus, which ranked 94th amongst 222 qualifying cornerbacks in 2024.[109]
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| NFL Defensive Player of the Year | |
| Won theSuper Bowl | |
| Led the league | |
| Bold | Career high |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2012 | BUF | 16 | 16 | 61 | 52 | 9 | 0.0 | 16 | 1 | 23 | 23.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 0 |
| 2013 | BUF | 11 | 9 | 35 | 30 | 5 | 0.0 | 10 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2014 | BUF | 14 | 14 | 46 | 38 | 8 | 0.0 | 6 | 3 | 61 | 20.3 | 27 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2015 | BUF | 12 | 12 | 36 | 36 | 0 | 0.0 | 18 | 3 | 33 | 11.0 | 29 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2016 | BUF | 15 | 15 | 48 | 42 | 6 | 0.0 | 12 | 5 | 135 | 27.0 | 49 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2017 | NE | 13 | 13 | 50 | 47 | 3 | 0.0 | 9 | 2 | 59 | 29.5 | 39 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | NE | 16 | 16 | 45 | 40 | 5 | 1.0 | 20 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 2 | 1 |
| 2019 | NE | 16 | 16 | 53 | 44 | 9 | 0.0 | 20 | 6 | 126 | 21.0 | 64T | 2 | 0 | 1 |
| 2020 | NE | 11 | 11 | 37 | 30 | 7 | 0.0 | 3 | 1 | 15 | 15.0 | 15 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2021 | CAR | 8 | 3 | 16 | 15 | 1 | 0.0 | 2 | 2 | 13 | 6.5 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2022 | IND | 16 | 16 | 66 | 53 | 13 | 0.0 | 11 | 2 | 31 | 15.5 | 31 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | DAL | 17 | 17 | 68 | 54 | 14 | 0.0 | 13 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2024 | MIN | 15 | 15 | 56 | 40 | 16 | 0.0 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 180 | 173 | 617 | 521 | 96 | 1.0 | 149 | 32 | 496 | 15.5 | 64 | 2 | 7 | 3 | |
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | PD | Int | Yds | Avg | Lng | TD | FF | FR | ||
| 2017 | NE | 3 | 3 | 10 | 9 | 1 | 0.0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | NE | 3 | 3 | 7 | 7 | 0 | 0.0 | 5 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | NE | 1 | 1 | 2 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2023 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 5 | 4 | 1 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2024 | MIN | 1 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 0.0 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 9 | 9 | 26 | 23 | 3 | 0.0 | 12 | 2 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 0 | |
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 collegiatesprinter forUniversity of South Carolina.[111]
Gilmore has a younger brother namedSteven who played cornerback forMarshall[112] and spent some time on the Detroit Lions roster.
Gilmore grew up as a fan of theDallas Cowboys and, upon joining the team, surprised his uncle with the news, much to both of their excitement.[113]
