Stephon Gilmore is in the final season of his contract with the New England Patriots, and that may be why the All-Pro cornerback has yet to show up to work.
Gilmore has not attended any voluntary offseason workouts with the Patriots, which is a different approach from how he has operated in the past. The 30-year-old will be subject to fines if he does not report to mandatory minicamp on Monday, and ESPN’s Mike Reiss wonders if a holdout could be coming for Gilmore.
Gilmore is set to earn a base salary of $7 million this year in the final season of his five-year, $65 million contract. That number is so low in part because the Patriots previously moved a large portion of Gilmore’s 2021 salary to 2020 to give him more guaranteed money after he won Defensive Player of the Year. Now, the four-time Pro Bowler likely wants an extension.
A report earlier in the offseason claimed it was viewed as a foregone conclusion that the Patriots would trade Gilmore. That has not happened, though it cannot be ruled out. We also can’t rule out Bill Belichick making Gilmore his latest surprise veteran cut.
Gilmore missed five games last season with a quad injury. It would be out of character for Belichick to give a new contract to a player who is on the wrong side of 30 and coming off an injury. The Patriots have spent big this offseason, but that may be where they draw the line.
