Legendary former Patriots cornerback announces retirement

One of the greatest cornerbacks in New England Patriots history is calling it a career.

Stephon Gilmore announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursday through his Instagram page, closing the book on one of the more accomplished 13-year careers the league has seen from a defensive back. Gilmore played only four of those seasons in New England, but he made an immeasurable impact as one of the critical pieces of the tail end of the Brady-Belichick dynasty.

Originally drafted 10th overall by the Buffalo Bills in 2012, GIlmore played his first five seasons there before going to the Patriots on a five-year, $65 million deal, which at the time was top-10 cornerback money. He quickly established himself as a true All-Pro-caliber corner going from then-messy Buffalo to the perennial Super Bowl-contending Pats under Belichick and Brady. His career really took flight in 2018 and 2019, when he earned consecutive First Team All-Pro nods. He became just the seventh cornerback in 49 seasons (at the time) to win the AP Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019, when he left the league with six interceptions and 20 total pass breakups.

Gilmore wasn't just a passenger when he won his only career Super Bowl championship with the Patriots in the 2018 season, he came through in the clutch himself. He famously made a leaping interception late in the fourth quarter of Super Bowl LIII against the Los Angeles Rams, preventing them from approaching the end zone in a seven-point game on football's biggest stage. He also made one of the more impressive pass breakups in Patriots history in the 2017 AFC Championship Game when he dove to stop a fourth-down throw from the Jaguars' Blake Bortles, which helped propel the Pats to a Super Bowl berth that year. That produced one of the better photos of the dynasty era:

Gilmore played through 2020 for the Patriots, then played four more NFL seasons for the Panthers, Colts, Cowboys, and Vikings. After getting through the whole 2025 season without playing a game, the veteran corner decided to call it quits after 180 career games and nine playoff contests.

A silent assassin known for his soft-spoken demeanor off the field, Gilmore emerged as one of the elite shutdown cornerbacks in the league during his time as a Patriot. He's a lock to be remembered for that time of his career more than anything else, and he should eventually gain consideration for the Patriots Hall of Fame.

But what about that other Hall of Fame? The Pro Football one? Gilmore has a legitimate case. He's one of only five cornerbacks in NFL history to be named Defensive Player of the Year and earn multiple First Team All-Pro nods--and the other four (Mel Blount, Deion Sanders, Charles Woodson, Rod Woodson) are enshrined in Canton. He will most certainly hit the ballot in five years' time.

The Patriots have a long, rich history of elite cornerbacks, from Mike Haynes to Ty Law to Malcolm Butler to Gilmore. They're hoping Christian Gonzalez can be added to that list of greatness.