NFL Writer Isn’t Ruling Out Patriots Trading Stephon Gilmore

Determining the New England Patriots’ starting quarterback should be No. 1 on Bill Belichick and Co.’s priority list.

Not far behind should be figuring out what to do with Stephon Gilmore.

Gilmore has yet to take the field with the Patriots this spring and summer, whether it be at mandatory minicamp, training camp or preseason games. The star cornerback has been recovering from a quad injury, but he also is not satisfied with his current contract situation.

New England effectively has two options: work out a new deal for Gilmore or trade him. While multiple reports suggest the former is the more likely route the Patriots take, NFL writer Gregg Rosenthal believes a Gilmore trade still is a possibility.

“There has been radio silence on Gilmore’s status a year removed from his Defensive Player of the Year award, despite him staying on the PUP list following a surgery to repair his torn quad,” Rosenthal wrote in a column published to NFL.com. “It looks like a game of chicken on whether Gilmore will practice before getting a raise or get a raise before practicing. Belichick appears to love Gilmore too much to trade him when they are trying to make the playoffs, but a stunning deal just before Week 1 is Belichick’s version of playing the hits.”

The Patriots probably can’t afford to move Gilmore, as their cornerback depth outside of the four-time Pro Bowl selection is relatively weak. J.C. Jackson is a superstar in the making, but the group of Jonathan Jones, Jalen Mills, Myles Bryant and Joejuan Williams leaves much to be desired.

So while we wouldn’t put anything past Belichick, we imagine Gilmore is going to stick around in Foxboro.