Still one of the top man-to-man cover corners in football, where will Stephon Gilmore end up for the 2022 season? Here are some predictions for his best landing spots.
You might be sleeping on him at this point, but the Gilly Lock is still prominent. It was just two seasons ago that Stephon Gilmore was named AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year as the key cog for the New England Patriots.
Then an injury-riddled 2020 season led to him being a trade candidate in 2021, eventually leading to Gilmore landing back in his home state with the Carolina Panthers. He may have seen his PFF grade dip to an average rate of 61.0 in ’20, but he got back to elite status in 2021, clearing the way for his fifth-career Pro Bowl nod as an alternate.
So as Gilmore looks to the fall, where he will turn 32 years of age, he’s got some options as to what he should do going into possibly his last major contract negotiations as a player. He’s still great and showed he’s capable of getting back to good health after missing five games in 2020 due to a partially torn quad.
That caused him to start this past season on the PUP list, as he only played in eight of the final 10 games for Carolina, but his play showed that the injury has not hampered his game.
Considering all those factors for a player entering his 11th season in the league, Gilmore is estimated to make an average salary of anywhere from $12.7 million to $14.1 million, according to Spotrac. A two-year deal sounds about right for the veteran CB, as it would take him through his age-33 season.
So where might he end up? Here’s a list of teams that I believe make the most sense.