Patriots to Release Veteran CB Stephon Gilmore

The New England Patriots and Stephon Gilmore will be parting ways, after all.

Amidst a great deal of speculation surrounding his future status with the team, New England has apparently decided to release the cornerback, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter. Gilmore essentially confirmed the news via his social media accounts, with the following message:

Gilmore, who had yet to suit up for the Pats in 2021, after starting the season on the Reserve/Physically Unable to Perform list, (Gilmore missed all portions of the team’s offseason workouts, including training camp and preseason) had entered the final year of his five-year, $65 million contract, which he signed in 2017. He is scheduled to earn a base salary of $7 million in 2021. He and the Patriots agreed to a restructure prior to the 2020 season that moved $4.5 million of the then-reigning Defensive Player of the Year’s 2021 salary to the current season. As a result, Gilmore was slated to make far less than market value for a player of his prowess.

New England reportedly explored trading Gilmore in the offseason. However, failure to find a suitable partner, as well as the inability to reach an agreement on a contract, results in the team deciding to release the former two-time, First-Team All-Pro. With Gilmore’s release, the Patriots are expected to save approximately created $5,790,850 in cap space, per PatsCap’s Miguel Benzan. Still, the team gained no personnel assets in return.

Gilmore, 31, is expected to draw heavy interest on the open market, with several teams expected to inquire about his services.

The Patriots, in turn, will remain with J.C. Jackson at the top of the cornerback depth chart, as they head to Houston to face the Texans on Sunday at 1:00pm ET from NRG Stadium.

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