Stephon Gilmore says he was motivated by 1 comment from AJ Brown

December 11, 2023

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Sep 10, 2023; East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA; Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore (21) looks on before the game against the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Vincent Carchietta-USA TODAY Sports

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore proved on Sunday night that he is still capable of playing at an elite level, and he says Philadelphia Eagles wide receiver AJ Brown deserves some credit for that.

Gilmore and Brown were seen jawing at one another throughout much of the Cowboys’ 33-13 win over the Eagles at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas. Brown had a fairly productive game with 9 catches for 94 yards, but he had a costly fumble early in the second half when the Eagles were trailing 24-6. Gilmore made an outstanding to play to strip the ball out.

Stephon Gilmore forces the fumble and everything is coming up Cowboys 🤠

📺: #PHIvsDAL on NBC
📱: Stream on #NFLPlus https://t.co/YCEDNi5Ozb pic.twitter.com/SYbYs0NjKL

— NFL (@NFL) December 11, 2023

After the game, Gilmore told reporters that he did not appreciate being called old by Brown early on.

“I just didn’t like how he called me old at the beginning of the game,” Gilmore said, via Nick Harris of DallasCowboys.com. “So it lit a fire in me a little bit. I was mad. The only thing I could do was show him I was still here, and I think I did that today.”

The 33-year-old Gilmore is not quite the shutdown corner he was during his prime, but he said he still cherishes the challenge of shadowing an opposing team’s best receiver.

“I’ve been doing this my whole career,” Gilmore added. “Covering the best guy and following him. It’s exciting because you know the ball is coming your way. I get up for those types of moments.”

At this point in his career, Gilmore will probably take the extra juice any way he can get it. Though, he was likely plenty motivated from the start in what was the biggest divisional game of the year for Dallas.

The Cowboys looked like a far better team than the Eagles on Sunday. If Gilmore continues to play at a high level, Dallas will be even more difficult to beat down the stretch and into the postseason.