Patriots: Stephon Gilmore discusses ‘serious’ personal matter that kept him away from team

Stephon Gilmore spoke to reporters at Patriots training camp on Wednesday.

New England Patriots star cornerback and reigning Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore missed a few days of practice last week and didn’t return until Tuesday after head coach Bill Belichick revealed he was excused for a personal matter.

Gilmore was spotted on the field Tuesday, but didn’t speak to reporters until Wednesday and he provided some insight in regards to what he was dealing with. The good news is that everything’s OK and that he’s able to be back with the team to help the secondary prepare for a crucial 2020 campaign.

The bad news? It seemed like it was a taxing few days for the veteran cornerback.

"“Everything’s good,” Gilmore said of the “serious” personal issue in a video call with reporters. “Had something come up that, you know, is personal reasons so I told coach about it and we’ll leave it at that.“Everybody goes through things in life. You know when it’s something serious, you don’t want it on your mind. Sometimes you’ve got to handle things. I was able to do that. Now I’m back, back happy and ready to take on each and every day getting better.”"

Patriots fans are likely thrilled Gilmore was able to handle his issue, get it off his mind, and return to training camp with a clear head. If anybody understands how high the stakes are in the NFL (and playing for the best coach in history), it’s Gilmore.

Now it’s time for Gilmore to impart his wisdom upon fellow defensive backs JC Jackson, Joejuan Williams and Kyle Duggar, all of whom are expected to play bigger roles when you consider Patrick Chung’s opt out and the ever-crucial need for a deep secondary in today’s NFL.

It won’t be long before we’re seeing clips of Gilmore hauling in INTs and breaking up passes in training camp.

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