Stephon Gilmore and the New England Patriots had themselves one heck of a run. The marriage saw two Super Bowl appearances (including one victory), three straight division crowns and—from an individual standpoint—two First-team All-Pro selections and the 2019 AP Defensive Player of the Year honors culminate within a four-season span.
Their divorce, however, was very much unexpected and a little bit sour—at least for Gilmore.
During a conference call with Boston-area media on Wednesday, the 31-year-old cornerback stated he “didn’t have a sense,” per Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald, that the Patriots were going to trade him. Gilmore, of course, was shipped to the Carolina Panthers back on Oct. 6.
Gilmore also mentioned that he was not particularly content with how the organization dealt with his quad injury.
“I wasn’t ready at the beginning of training camp, I’m going to be completely honest with you. The only thing [was] I just didn’t like how they handled my situation with my injury,” he said, per NFL Network’s Mike Giardi. “A lot went on with that that I didn’t agree with and now that I am here, I am able to do the things I need to do to get me back and be ready to where I need to be.”
The 10th-year defensive back tore his quad in the Patriots’ Week 15 matchup against the Miami Dolphins last season. He would, as a result, undergo surgery and subsequently miss the first seven games of the 2021 campaign.
Regardless, Gilmore knows the nature of the NFL and is excited with where he’s currently at.
“It’s part of it. It’s part of the business,” Gilmore said to team reporters about his departure from New England. “I’m happy to be here now. I’ma leave it at that. And I’m just looking forward to going out there and playing the way I know how to play. Whatever happened there is between . . . ya know. It happened. So I’m just happy I’m here.”