It has been a busy and eventful week in the Twin Cities. On his way to the North Star State, Stephon Gilmore is no longer on the market as a free agent.
Gilmore and the Minnesota Viking have agreed to terms on a one-year, $10 million contract, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported on Sunday.
$7 million of that is guaranteed to come his way, his agent, Jason Chayut of Sportstars Inc., told ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A two-time first-team All-Pro selection, Gilmore is the fifth and by far most decorated and accomplished cornerback acquisition the Vikings have made this offseason.
The 33-year-old, who will be turning 34 in September, Gilmore would have been an intracule piece and instant upgrade for just about any organization he signed on the dotted line with, not only with his supreme talent and a nose for the football, but for his leadership as well. But as noted by NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, Gilmore is a seamless fit for a Vikings secondary in desperate need for reinforcement at the corner position.
Embed from Getty ImagesHe had to endure offseason surgery to repair a torn labrum and had gone on an official visit to the Vikings’ facility Monday. After the visit, coach Kevin O’Connell said: “I’ve had a ton of respect in Stephon Gilmore’s career, playing against him. This is a guy that’s done it at a really high level for a long time.”
The Vikings, who are coming to grips with the tragic and untimely death of rookie cornerback Khyree Jackson along with Mekhi Blackmon tearing his ACL on the first day of training camp, have done everything they can to sure up the cornerback spot recently. They signed another veteran, Fabian Moreau, and recently dealt former second-round pick Andrew Booth in exchange for Nahshon Wright.
Gilmore will now join a Vikings cornerback corps that includes Byron Murphy, Shaquill Griffin and Josh Metellus at the top of the depth chart. He will also reunite with defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was the New England Patriots’ defensive play caller in 2018, and the pair were together when Gilmore received his first All-Pro nod for two of his seasons with the team.
Gilmore earned both of his All-Pro accolades as a Patriot and was also voted 2019 AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year during his New England tenure (2017-2020). However, he did not fall off or lose a step when he departed from Foxborough.
Having begun his career with five seasons for the Buffalo Bills, Gilmore has been on an NFL odyssey of sorts and is now set for his sixth NFL team and his fifth in five seasons. He started all 17 games for America’s Team, the Dallas Cowboys last year, garnering a 74.4 overall grade from Pro Football Focus to go with 68 tackles, 13 pass breakups and two interceptions.
After an offseason ranked 16th in Gregg Rosenthal’s Top 100 free agents and residing in the best available spot for months, Gilmore has found a new home for the next leg of his journey.
