Ethan Hurwitz: Stephon Gilmore Deserves Patriots HOF Induction Once Eligible

FOXBORO — Enough has been made about the New England Patriots Hall of Fame voting process, a lot of it coming from yours truly (that won't stop until Adam Vinatieri, Logan Mankins and Wes Welker finally get in, but alas). I still got one more argument in me.

Stephon Gilmore, who was back in town to retire as a member of the Patriots Friday afternoon, deserves a red jacket at some point. The Patriots have had a long history of great cornerbacks — from Mike Haynes and Raymond Clayborn, to Ty Law and Darrelle Revis. Gilmore was the latest one to shine.

Three of those guys are in the Patriots Hall of Fame, and the one that isn't (Revis) spent one year with the team, won a Super Bowl and earned enshrinement into Canton instead. That's a fair trade off.

There should be one more name added to that list once Gilmore becomes eligible in 2030. If it doesn't happen, shame! Shame! Shame! Shame!

"I always wanted to cover the best receiver each and every week," Gilmore said when he signed his one-day contract. "Even when we double teamed guys, I always wanted to go to the guy that wasn't getting double teamed because I wanted the ball to get thrown to my side."

Since coming to New England in 2017 on a $56 million free agent contract, "Gilly Lock" turned into one of the NFL's best cornerbacks. He picked off 12 total interceptions in a Patriots uniform, was the conductor of some of the most iconic plays of the 21st century to this point and left with a legacy unmatched in his generation.

Nov 25, 2018; East Rutherford, NJ, USA; New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) intercepts a pass intended for New York Jets wide receiver Robby Anderson (11) during the second quarter at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports | USA TODAY Sports

"Just impressive. I mean, just great patience, great speed, reaction" head coach Mike Vrabel, who coached against Gilmore two times during the cornerback's New England career. "(He) never looked too stressed. I think that was always the thing. He just always looked smooth and under control. ... Good to see him at practice."

But there's an uphill climb for him to get in there, and none of it is really his fault.

Gilmore would let his play do the talking. Unlike the Julian Edelmans and Rob Gronkowski, who are always in the New England limelight, the quiet cornerback wasn't in the bright lights as often. That plays a part in the voting fans, who chose the wide receiver and tight end to be the last two inductees.

He has his moments (his pass breakup in the 2017 AFC Championship and interception in Super Bowl LIII are his defining plays), and he played just recently enough to tug on the heartstrings of the current fanbase. That shouldn't matter, though. Gilmore's shutdown abilities were enough for him to get inducted, regardless of what era he would have played in.

Under the current voting structure, Gilmore might need to wait a while so that a long line of fan favorites (Vinatieri, Devin McCourty, Matthew Slater, Dont'a Hightower, James White, Randy Moss) get in. If they even do. Only voting one player in a year (or two, depending on the senior committee) really pushes the timeline back for Gilmore who was only in New England for four seasons.

But there's no argument that Gilmore shouldn't end up forever enshrined in Foxboro's own hall. He's the perfect Patriots Hall of Famer, and we'll revisit this argument in four years time.

Extra Points:

There's a long lineage of Patriots who shined wearing No. 24. Both Law and Revis made that number iconic, and it was only fitting that Gilmore would continue that legacy. But since he was traded in 2021, the Patriots haven't had someone step up and truly reach those heights. It's something that safety Dell Pettus (who's worn the uniform since 2024) is well aware of when he puts that jersey on. "I still take a lot of pride in wearing it just because it's such a great lineage of guys who wore that number proudly," he told Patriots On SI.

One of the biggest storylines heading into Week 2 is the health of TreVeyon Henderson, who's set to make his season debut after missing last week with an ankle injury. He told reporters this week that he's "ready to go," and his presence alone should help the Patriots running attack that struggled in Week 1 in Seattle. Expect him to be featured early and often.

The Patriots are set to wear blue-on-silver for the first time this season against Pittsburgh, and it's begun an interesting trend about the uniforms that they're wearing against Aaron Rodgers in recent years. Since 2024, the Patriots are suited up in a different uniform every time they've gone against the future Hall of Famer (2024 Week 3: white-on-blue, 2024 Week 8: blue-on-blue, 2025 Week 3: red-on-white, 2026 Week 2: blue-on-silver).

He won't say a lot, but I can appreciate Romeo Doubs taking the time to speak to reporters this week after a really rough debut performance. Granted, his answers were short and very to the point, but I think it's commendable for the quiet receiver to answer questions in crowded media scrums — even if it's clear he doesn't want to.

When reporters were given a tour of the New Balance Athletics Facility a few weeks back, I caught glimpse of a Trojan horse sitting on a desk in the defensive line room. Was there a teaching point behind it? Did position coach Clint McMillan use it to part some wisdom on the players? Nope. Turns out McMillan was "foolish enough" to spent $60 on a popcorn bucket made for The Odyssey film. Other than sometimes candy inside, there's no special message hidden within the horse.

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