FOXBORO, Mass. — Stephon Gilmore made the Pro Bowl Tuesday night. Good. Great. Fantastic. Now it’s on to Buffalo.
No, really. That was pretty much the message the New England Patriots cornerback received from head coach Bill Belichick on Tuesday.
“Bill called me, told me, ‘Congrats, get ready for work this week,'” Gilmore relayed.
Was that the message verbatim?
“Just basically that, yeah,” Gilmore said.
Belichick had a little more to say about Gilmore to the media Wednesday morning.
“Yeah, Steph’s had a good year,” Belichick said. “I thought he had a good year for us last year. I mean, all players improve as they’ve been in the system longer. He was a good player when he got here. He’s had a good year for us.”
Gilmore appreciates the nod. It’s his second Pro Bowl nod, and it’s well-deserved.
“It’s a great honor,” Gilmore said. “I wouldn’t say it’s not, but I’ve got a big game this week. Going to the playoffs, that’s something I like doing, so that’s what one thing we’ve got to handle our business this week to put a great future in our season.”
If the Patriots win against the Buffalo Bills on Sunday, they win the AFC East. Gilmore spent the first five seasons of his NFL career with the Bills before signing with the Patriots in the 2017 offseason.
Gilmore is second in the NFL in pass breakups with 18. He’s Pro Football Focus’ No. 1 rated cornerback in the NFL this season after allowing 38 catches on 77 targets for 436 yards with five touchdowns and two interceptions while going against No. 1 wide receivers.
He’s especially thankful for the recognition from fellow NFL players.
“It’s big, you know? Sometimes you don’t get those votes, sometimes you do,” Gilmore said. “Just kind of have to handle your business on the field. As long as your teammates respect you, that’s what really matters to me. It’s really an honor to get voted to the Pro Bowl, but that’s not going to help me this week to win against Buffalo. So, that’s what I’m looking forward to.”
