Stephon Gilmore suffers knee injury, leaves game early vs. Dolphins

Patriots corner Stephon Gilmore suffered a non-contact knee injury in Week 15.

The New England Patriots have had a number of bright players through this tumultuous season, one of which being defensive back Stephon Gilmore.

Unfortunately, the reigning defensive player of the year suffered a knee injury against the Miami Dolphins leading to an exit from the field. With the Patriots up 6-0, Gilmore lost his footing in coverage and went down awkwardly before being helped off the field by trainers.

Given his presence on the field, it’s a hard sight to see for a Patriots team that already lost a number of players on both sides of the ball due to opt-outs and injuries this season. Furthermore, given the deficiencies on the offense, any deficiency on the defense can be exposed, and thus trouble is not far behind as it showed with this unfortunate circumstance.

Stephon Gilmore is a vital part of the Patriots defense, meaning this is a big loss

Before arriving in New England in 2017, Gilmore was a standout in the Buffalo Bills defense. Since being drafted in 2012 out of South Carolina in the first round, Gilmore has been one of the premier cornerbacks in the National Football League. with 14 interceptions. Following New England’s victory in Super Bowl LI, they took the chance on another division rival player.

For the past four seasons, Gilmore was a vital part of two Super Bowl participating teams, one of which was won thanks to his interception in the fourth quarter against the Rams, sealing the franchises’ 6th Super Bowl title.

Additionally, 2019 was his best as he recorded six interceptions. As a result, he was named AP Defensive Player of the Year, the first cornerback since Charles Woodson to win the award. The last safety was Troy Polamalu. Best wishes to Stephon Gilmore on a speedy recovery.