Stephon Gilmore was unhappy with the terms of his New England Patriots contract. That unhappiness ultimately led to his departure.
But Gilmore reportedly is willing to play on that deal for his new team, the Carolina Panthers.
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported the star cornerback will not demand a new contract from Carolina, which acquired him from New England for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick Wednesday.
“Stephon Gilmore and the Carolina Panthers are both open to him playing out the final year of his contract at $5.8 million, per sources,” Fowler wrote on Twitter. “Talks on an extension could commence once situated but the team loosely expects him to play it out as of now.”
Gilmore is set to hit free agency after the season. The 31-year-old currently is on the physically unable to perform list as he recovers from the partially torn quad that ended his 2020 season, but NFL Media’s Mike Giardi reported he is “healthy.”
After the Patriots gave Gilmore what amounted to a $5 million pay advance last September, he was set to make just $7 million in base salary this season, well below market for a player who was the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year in 2019. It’s unclear why Gilmore reportedly will accept that rate with Carolina, his hometown team.
Since he was traded, not released, Gilmore won’t be eligible to come off the PUP list until Week 7, meaning he must sit out his first two games with the Panthers. He’ll face his former team almost one month to the day after his trade, as the Patriots are scheduled to visit Carolina on Nov. 7.
