Former Patriots Star Reportedly ‘Open’ To New England Return

The Patriots already facilitated a reunion this offseason when they signed quarterback Jacoby Brissett to a one-year deal.

Is there a chance New England will bring back another player from a Super Bowl-winning team?

Stephon Gilmore isn’t ruling out such a scenario. According to MassLive’s Karen Guregian, citing a source, the free-agent cornerback is “open to all options, including another go-round with the Patriots.”

Gilmore’s preference reportedly is to stay in Dallas, where he started all 17 games last season and became a critically important player after Trevon Diggs went down with a season-ending injury. But with an already unfavorable salary cap situation and lucrative extensions for CeeDee Lamb and Micah Parsons looming, the Cowboys might not view a new deal for a 33-year-old cornerback as a worthwhile investment.

The secondary is one of the few areas where the Patriots are in a pretty good spot at this point in the offseason, but that shouldn’t prevent New England from looking into a reunion with Gilmore. The Patriots learned last season how valuable cornerback depth can be, and in addition to on-field production, Gilmore could help with the development of budding star Christian Gonzalez.

Gilmore, who won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Award with the Patriots, might have left New England with a bitter taste in his mouth after he was traded in October 2021. But now that there’s a new regime in place, perhaps the five-time Pro Bowl selection is interested in returning to where he’s played some of the best football of his career.