An Old Friend Could Return to Vikings
On August 18, 2024, the Minnesota Vikings signed five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore after rookie defensive back Khyree Jackson tragically passed away a month prior and second-year CB Mekhi Blackmon tore his ACL at training camp.
A familiar dude could return to Minnesota. Here’s the buzz on a potential Vikings reunion as roster needs and connections align this preseason. Fans would not be upset.
Gilmore played mostly well for the 2024 Vikings, but through five months of free agency in the 2025 offseason, no team has signed the 35-year-old.
Accordingly, Gilmore remains alive in Minnesota’s late-summer rumor mill.
Don’t Forget Stephon Gilmore as a Vikings Option
The seasoned veteran is one of the best cornerbacks left on the open market.
Stephon Gilmore’s Return to Vikings Cannot Be Ruled Out
A Gilmore reunion in the Twin Cities has actually been mentioned for months, mainly because no team has signed him, and Minnesota’s CB room isn’t necessarily a proven powerhouse.
Ben Goessling spoke about the purple cornerback room on Access Vikings last week, explaining general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah, indeed, could add a free agent. He said, “It could be him, Gilmore … I would not be surprised at all if they added somebody at that position.”
Therefore, while it’s not a new theory, Gilmore’s return to his 2024 employer is still in play.
Cornerbacks Fine the Way They Are?
If the regular season started today — it’s one month away — Minnesota would trot out some combination of these cornerbacks:
> Byron Murphy Jr.
> Isaiah Rodgers
> Jeff Okudah
> Mekhi Blackmon
> Dwight McGlothern
> Zemaiah Vaughn
> Tavierre Thomas
> Ambry Thomas
Throughout training camp, which is about two weeks old, Vikings fans have grown to trust the unit, although if the Green Bay Packers, for example, showcased this bunch, the same crowd would salivate, thinking about Minnesota’s WR corps going against it.
Gilmore would provide starting-level insurance to Brian Flores‘ cornerback bunch.
Don’t Forget about Injuries
Meanwhile, like last year with Blackmon, Gilmore might be the very first phone call by Adofo-Mensah if a CB injury rattled training camp.
Minnesota has avoided such injuries so far at camp, but former head coach Mike Zimmer once said about CBs, “They always get hurt.” And Zimmer was not exaggerating. Gilmore will stay parked in the purple rumor mill until he signs elsewhere or Flores’ corners prove in the regular season that they have the proper oomph.
Gilmore in 2024
Gilmore fired up a 94.1 passer-rating-against in Minnesota last season, a decent mark by a 35-year-old’s standards, along with a 63.9 Pro Football Focus grade. He notably picked off Aaron Rodgers in a win over the New York Jets in London and offered veteran leadership from cover to cover in 2024.
Theoretically, he would do more of the same for the purple team in 2025, though he may not play 864 defensive snaps this go-round.
Cowboys as the Frontrunner for Gilmore
The Dallas Cowboys have recently emerged as the odds-on favorite to secure Gilmore’s services from free agency.
The Landry Hat‘s Jerry Trotta wrote last month, “DaRon Bland is the only returning starter who is healthy. Jourdan Lewis was not brought back this offseason and Trevon Diggs is working his way back from another knee surgery. The same can be said for 2025 third-round pick Shavon Revel, who hopes to be cleared for training camp.”
“The group is so decimated that Andrew Booth saw reps with the first-team defense in offseason workouts. That is a recipe for disaster. While Kaiir Elam impressed in OTAs and minicamp, it’s important to remember he hasn’t had much success in the league since Buffalo selected him No. 23 overall in 2022.”
Gilmore will turn 36 this autumn.
Trotta continued, “Starting Elam opposite Bland would be a massive roll of the dice. Signing Gilmore would quell a lot of those concerns. All of a sudden we’d be talking about Bland, Gilmore and Elam as the top three CBs. It would also allow the Cowboys to ease Revel back into the swing of things.”
“With training camp around the corner, Gilmore won’t last on the open market for much longer. Jerry Jones needs to act fast before another team scoops him up.”
But remember Gilmore for the Vikings if the Cowboys don’t take the plunge. The preexisting relationship is there, especially with full Vikings coaching continuity from 2024 to 2025.
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