New rumor reveals Stephon Gilmore's feelings about possible Patriots return

The Patriots have become one of the leading teams that love to bring back former players years down the road to fit glaring needs on their roster. We've seen it with guys like Trent Brown, Jamie Collins, and Kyle Van Noy, who broke the stigma of not having fun playing in New England with their multiple returns to where they saw their most success.

Historically, re-signings have mostly worked out for the team and the player, exemplifying why they're often a good decision. And now, the Patriots have a chance to do it again, but this time with former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.

When he was signed in 2017, he was a good player, but many felt that Bill Belichick "overpaid" him with a massive contract. Gilmore quickly proved that wrong by playing the best football of his career over the next four years and earning top accolades in the process.

He was part of some of the most clutch moments during the Patriots' second half of the Dynasty, helping to secure a win with a perfect pass breakup in the AFC Championship game against the Jaguars. And who could forget the well-timed interception in Super Bowl LIII?

Unfortunately, his time in New England ended poorly, resulting in his trade to the Panthers after a dispute over his injury status.

Gilmore has since played for a few more teams, his most recent being the Cowboys, and hasn't missed a beat during that time. He's continued to impress on the field and remains one of the best cornerbacks in the league, so much so that even Belichick attempted to trade for him before Dallas beat him to it.

Patriots can right a former wrong by signing Stephon Gilmore for the 2024 season

Now that he's a free agent, rumors suggest he could potentially rejoin the Patriots this offseason, and the timing couldn't be better.

The latest report confirms the chatter, with sources telling MassLive's Karen Guregian that he is open to returning to his former team if Dallas fails to lock him down with an enticing new contract.

Although cornerbacks aren't a significant need for the Patriots to address, they did release Myles Bryant and J.C. Jackson ahead of free agency. They also lost Jalen Mills, who signed a contract with the Giants last week.

Gilmore would be a great addition to the roster, joining Christian Gonzalez and Jonathan Jones as the primary corners. He would not only provide even more assurance that they had a lockdown secondary, but his mentorship to Gonzalez would be invaluable, especially after how impressive he looked as a rookie in 2023.

It would be a win to have Gilmore back on the team for several reasons, and there's no reason for the Patriots not to be interested in a deal. The cornerback has even stated his desire to return before he retires, so is there any better time than now to make that a reality?

Here's to hoping the Cowboys let him walk so he can make his trek back to Foxboro.

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