‘Thank you for supporting this Rock Hill kid.’ Stephon Gilmore leaving Patriots
Stephon Gilmore began Wednesday looking for a new NFL home.
According to multiple media reports Wednesday, the New England Patriots were going to release the former South Carolina great and four-time Pro Bowl selection. Gilmore posted a goodbye message to Patriots’ fans on Twitter early Wednesday morning.
“It is with mixed emotions that I announce my goodbye to this great fan base. We enjoyed so much success together and you have been an incredible inspiration for my individual achievements. Thank you for supporting this Rock Hill kid and allowing him to achieve his NFL dreams ,” Gilmore wrote. “To Mr. Kraft, the coaches, and the organization thank you for providing me with this platform and allowing me to be part of greatness. Most of all I want to thank my teammates who lined up next to me every Sunday with one goal in mind.”
Gilmore has been with the Patriots since 2017 after spending his first five years with the Buffalo Bills. He was part of the Patriots’ Super Bowl championship team in 2018 and won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award in which he had a career-high six interceptions and two touchdowns that year.
“I am grateful to Stephon Gilmore for his significant contributions to our team,” Patriots coach Bill Belichick said in a statement. “It was a privilege and pleasure to coach Steph, I appreciate him for the true professional and class act that he is and wish him all the best in the future. Following discussions over a long period of time, we mutually agreed to part ways today.”
Gilmore has been on the physically unable to perform list this year with a quad injury and was scheduled to come off that list after Week 6. But it’s not just not for health reasons that he is leaving New England, according to reports. The two sides couldn’t agree on a new contract. The Patriots also are scheduled to sign linebacker Jamie Collins and need some salary cap space, according to NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport.
Gilmore was scheduled to make $7 million this season, according to ESPN.
Gilmore would have been able to sign with any team at 4 p.m. Wednesday, but the Carolina Panthers made a trade for him shortly after lunchtime.
Gilmore was the state of South Carolina’s Mr. Football in 2008 and enrolled early with the Gamecocks. He started all 12 games as a freshman in 2009. He was an all-SEC performer at USC.
This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 10:00 AM.
