The Patriots will miss the playoffs for the first time since 2008, and they will enter 2021 with question marks all over their roster, including quarterback. Star cornerback Stephon Gilmore‘s future in New England is also in some doubt.
As Ian Rapoport of NFL.com reports (via Twitter), Gilmore suffered a partially torn quad in the Pats’ loss to the Dolphins on Sunday. Luckily, there was no structural damage, and he should be recovered from surgery in sufficient time to participate in least some of the offseason program in the spring.
Whether he will be with the Patriots in the spring, however, is a different story. He pulled down Defensive Player of the Year honors in 2019, but 2020 was definitely a step back. He will have played in just 11 games this season due to injury, and Pro Football Focus’ advanced metrics considered him the 59th-best CB in the league out of 124 qualified players. He did earn the fourth Pro Bowl of his career, but that was likely due to name recognition more than anything else.
Still, he will be in pursuit of a hefty contract extension this offseason. He is under club control through 2021, but after New England moved some of his 2021 salary to 2020, he is due just $7MM in base pay in 2021. Given his track record, he will doubtlessly shoot for the top of the CB market, which is currently headed by Jalen Ramsey‘s five year, $105MM pact ($71.2MM guaranteed at signing). Gilmore is four years older than Ramsey, so he might not reach those lofty numbers, but he will be in line for a significant raise.
That is perhaps why New England reportedly considered a Gilmore trade before this year’s deadline (the team also shopped him prior to the 2020 draft). Obviously, no rival club was willing to meet the Patriots’ high asking price, and as Mike Reiss of ESPN.com writes, the expectation is that the two sides will again discuss an extension this offseason. But depending on how those negotiations go, it would seem that a trade remains a real possibility.
I’d be shocked if Gilmore is still a Patriot next season. Took a step back this year, missed time with an injury, and likely demanding a pricey contract extension. It wouldn’t be a very BB like move to pay him big money now.
This is the type of player a team like the Jets would throw big money at, not the Patriots.
Yup. Agreed
As a Pats fan, agreed. Also doesn’t make sense to throw money at him with how good Jackson has been
He got screwed left and right this year with Def. Pass Interference which screwed those numbers; the injuries didn’t help and the loss of the Defense’s QB was also another factor that no one seems to remember.:
In a Covid season I’m surprised at the writers who have been hard on teams (especially those with huge holes in their roster, filled with available mediocrity due to season opt-outs). All teams were doing whatever they could to field semi-competent teams and now that we’re closing the season all you hear is how bad this team was or what a bad job this GM did etc.! Writers should be ashamed of themselves for normalizing the negative once again).
I’m not aware of any incentive for writers to report negatively about players or teams. Given how much they are paid, GMs, coaches and players should be accountable for poor performances instead of blaming them on game officials, injuries or a virus.