Patriots Players React To Shocking Stephon Gilmore Departure

ORIGINAL STORY: Stephon Gilmore said goodbye to the New England Patriots on Wednesday.

After news broke that the Patriots planned to release Gilmore, the star cornerback posted a farewell message on social media. That post prompted replies from a number of his Patriots teammates, including running backs James White and Damien Harris, offensive tackle Trent Brown and retired safety Patrick Chung.

The Patriots’ stunning move sent shockwaves across the NFL. Wide receiver Antonio Brown, who briefly played with Gilmore in New England and now is with the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, called it “insane.”

Green Bay Packers receiver Davante Adams responded with a simple message to Gilmore: “Call me.”

The Bucs and Packers are two teams who reportedly will look into signing Gilmore once his release becomes official Wednesday afternoon. The Patriots also still could shift course and trade Gilmore in the coming hours.

Here’s Gilmore’s full farewell post:

UPDATE (1:45 p.m. ET): The Patriots instead have traded Stephon Gilmore, sending the Pro Bowl cornerback to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick.