Two Elite Plays Defined Stephon Gilmore’s Game-Breaking NFL Career

The former Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl champion announced his retirement.

Stephon Gilmore won the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019. | © Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images

Stephon Gilmore is calling it a career.

After 13 years of elite cornerback play that earned him two first-team All-Pro selections, five Pro Bowl nods, a Defensive Player of the Year award and a Super Bowl LIII championship, Gilmore announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday.

“To my first love, Football,” Gilmore wrote in a post on Instagram. “As a young, scrappy kid from Rock Hill, South Carolina with humble beginnings, the eldest of 6 - you gave me focus, opportunity, strength, and friends to last a lifetime. From my first game with Finley Road Falcons to two Super Bowls, multiple Pro Bowls, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award, you taught me the invaluable lesson of working hard and believing in myself.”

“To my wife and kids, thank you for making it possible for me to chase my dreams,” he continued. “To my parents, thank you for raising me to be the man l am today. To my coaches, thank you for pouring into me. And to the fans—thank you for your support. I have had an incredible 13 years in the League, and I cannot wait to see what this next chapter holds. GillyLock Out.”

Gilmore was selected by the Bills with the No. 10 pick in the first round of the 2012 draft, and while he proved to be a high-quality defensive talent—hauling in 14 interceptions during his time in Buffalo—he largely flew under the radar. The Bills went just 36–45 over his five seasons in upstate New York while firing three head coaches and never reaching the playoffs.

When Gilmore tested unrestricted free agency in 2017, however, his value became clear, as the Patriots signed him to a five-year, $65 million contract with $40 million guaranteed. Working under a defensive coaching trio of Bill Belichick, Matt Patricia and Brian Flores, Gilmore developed into not only one of the league's top cornerbacks, but an elite-level playmaker that played his best in the game's biggest moments.

Here, we take a look at two game-changing plays that define Gilmore’s NFL career.

Jan. 21, 2018: Gilmore deflects a pass from Blake Bortles, sending the Patriots to Super Bowl LII

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— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) April 2, 2026

While Tom Brady and the rest of the offense dragged the Patriots out of a 10-point fourth quarter deficit to take a 24–20 lead over the Jaguars in the 2017 AFC championship game, it was New England's top defensive player in Gilmore that ultimately secured their berth in Super Bowl LII.

Facing a fourth-and-14 from the New England 43-yard line with just under two minutes to go, Jacksonville dialed up a cross-field post for wide receiver Dede Westbrook. The speedster—who quarterback Blake Bortles never took his eyes off of—initially looked to have a step, but Gilmore undercut the route, leaped in the air, and broke up the pass with one hand to send the Patriots to the big game.

What happened to New England in its Super Bowl LII loss to the Eagles two weeks later, meanwhile, was no fault of Gilmore’s—and he made up for the team’s defeat the following season.

Feb. 3, 2019: Gilmore intercepts Jared Goff to cement Patriots Super Bowl LIII victory

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— Mike Kadlick (@mikekadlick) April 2, 2026

After tallying a career-high 20 passes defensed, two interceptions and two forced fumbles throughout 2018, Gilmore helped lead the Patriots back to the Super Bowl for a second consecutive season. This time, against the league's top offense in the Rams.

While attempting to cap a performance that ultimately held Los Angeles to a measly three points, New England's defense faced a second-and-10 from their own 27-yard line, with quarterback Jared Goff looking to take a shot. As the signal-caller dropped back, however, he saw immediate pressure—and chucked up a prayer off his back foot towards wide receiver Brandin Cooks.

Gilmore, of course, was all over it. Dropped into zone coverage, he read Goff’s panic like a book and easily intercepted the pass, giving the Patriots the ball back with less than five minutes to go in the contest—essentially sealing their sixth Super Bowl championship of the century.

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