All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore has signed a one-year contract worth up to $10 million, according to multiple reports, marking his 13th season and sixth team in his NFL career.
Gilmore started all 17 games for the Cowboys last year and previously played one year with the Colts, one with the Panthers, four with the Patriots and five with the Bills.
He visited the Vikings on Monday. According to ESPN:And less than a week later, the 33-year-old Gilmore reunited with Minnesota defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who coached Gilmore for two years on New England’s defensive staff.
“I have a ton of respect for Stephon Gilmore, having played against him in his career,” Vikings coach Kevin O’Connell told reporters after Gilmore’s visit, according to ESPN. “He’s a guy that’s performed at a really high level for a long time.”
Earlier in the offseason, Gilmore said he was “patient right now” in searching for his next destination.
Dallas acquired Gilmore last season in a March trade with the Colts, and Gilmore ultimately helped the Cowboys find parity with him after star Trevon Diggs suffered a season-ending torn ACL.
Gilmore finished the 2023 season with 13 passes defended, two interceptions and one forced fumble, giving him 31 interceptions and 140 passes defended in his career.
“It feels good because I’ve been playing Grade 13 for a long time,” Gilmore said in June. According to MassLive:“So I’m just being patient and waiting for the right opportunity.”
The Vikings needed to add depth at cornerback and made some changes to their depth at the start of training camp by trading cornerback Andrew Booth Jr. to the Cowboys for Nahshon Wright.
However, Mekhi Blackmon had already torn his ACL during training camp.
Shaquill Griffin also had a hamstring injury.
Minnesota also had to overcome the tragic loss of a cornerback this summer when Kyrie Jackson, a fourth-round pick in April’s draft, died in a car accident in July.
The Vikings will face the Giants in Week 1 after they will also be forced to reposition their quarterback position heading into the regular season after J.J. McCarthy required season-ending surgery to repair a torn meniscus.
