Gilmore retires as Patriot after 13 NFL seasons — SkimNews
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- Stephon Gilmore is signing a one-day contract Friday to retire as a member of the Patriots, the team he helped win Super Bowl LIII after the 2018 season with a game-clinching interception late in the fourth quarter of the 13-3 win over the Los Angeles Rams.
- Gilmore became the first player in franchise history named NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, leading the league with a career-high six interceptions (two returned for touchdowns) while also recording a career-high 20 pass breakups.
- The 35-year-old cornerback had previously announced his retirement in April via an Instagram post; he last played in 2024 with the Minnesota Vikings before stepping away.
- Gilmore was selected 10th overall by the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 draft and went on to make five Pro Bowls across stints in Buffalo (2012-16), New England (2017-20), Carolina (2021), Indianapolis (2022), Dallas (2023) and Minnesota (2024).
- Gilmore earned AP All-Pro honors in back-to-back seasons (2018 and 2019) and finishes his 13-year career with 32 interceptions and 149 pass breakups.
Why it matters: Gilmore's one-day contract sends him into retirement as a Patriot, the franchise where he peaked — his 2019 DPOY made him the first New England player ever to win the award, and his late fourth-quarter pick sealed Super Bowl LIII. The ceremony gives the Patriots a formal bookend on the most decorated stretch by a cornerback in team history while Gilmore closes out with 32 career interceptions across seven stops.
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