Unsigned Vikings Defender Flirts with Cowboys
When the Minnesota Vikings lost second-year cornerback Mekhi Blackmon last year, general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah eventually called five-time Pro Bowler Stephon Gilmore for assistance.
Unsigned Vikings Defender Flirts with Cowboys
The plan worked, as Gilmore held down the fort as a reliable starter in Minnesota last season, but the club did not re-sign him last month during its free-agent bonanza.
And while Gilmore could still sign with the Vikings, he was spotted at Dallas Cowboys’ headquarters on Tuesday, just two days before the NFL Draft.
Stephon Gilmore Spotted at Cowboys Headquarters
Gilmore is evidently in Dallas, leading to theories that he could sign on the Cowboys’ dotted line before too long.
Blogging the Boys‘ Matthew Lenix wrote Tuesday, “The Dallas Cowboys are in a prime position to add an impact player with the 12th overall pick in Thursday’s NFL draft. Wide receiver and running back have been at the forefront, but cornerback has been another position that’s been linked to Dallas in the first round.”
“However, on Tuesday, an interesting development was reported by several people close to the team. Free agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore was at The Star in Frisco.”
Gilmore will turn 35 this September.
Lenix added, “Gilmore is heading into his 14th season in the league. That means the financial compensation to get him won’t be huge, which is right up the Cowboys’ alley. If this situation were to materialize into a second stint for Gilmore in Dallas, it would push the cornerback position further down the priority list and allow the Cowboys to focus on some other key areas.”
A Reunion Angle?
Gilmore played in Dallas during the 2023 campaign, the year before he turned purple.
In that stint, he registered a 71.2 Pro Football Focus grade, followed by a 63.9 in Minnesota. The Buffalo Bills drafted Gilmore in 2012 with the 10th overall pick, about 90 minutes before Minnesota discovered a man named Harrison Smith from Notre Dame.
If Dallas took the plunge on Gilmore’s free agency, it would be a reunion for one more hurrah.
Gilmore’s NFL Resume
A seasoned veteran with two 1st-Team All-Pros under his belt, here’s Gilmore’s NFL resume through 13 seasons:
- Buffalo Bills (2012–2016)
- New England Patriots (2017–2021)
- Carolina Panthers (2021)
- Indianapolis Colts (2022)
- Dallas Cowboys (2023)
- Minnesota Vikings (2024)
Gilmore is a Super Bowl champion, winning a chip with the Patriots in 2018.
A Retirement Plan Earlier in the Offseason
The last anyone heard from Gilmore, he was contemplating retirement. He told the Star Tribune in January that he’d sit down with his family and formulate a plan forward. Turning 35 this autumn is a rather advanced age for an NFL cornerback, so most assumed his discussion with his family would lead to a formal retirement announcement.
Gilmore has made no such declaration over the past few months of the offseason.
Other Theorized Destinations
Two months ago, SI.com named two non-Cowboys landing spots for Gilmore: the Atlanta Falcons and Arizona Cardinals.
Fisher Brewer wrote about Arizona’s potential fit with Gilmore: “The Cardinals appear hopeful that they have dedicated resources to young cornerbacks like Max Melton and Elijah Jones. Perhaps they now look to add a veteran prescence to the room.”
And on Atlanta: “The Falcons, like the Cowboys, will need to throw resources this offseason towards the cornerback position. AJ Terrell enters his sixth season with the team and is their top-corner for the future. Though adding a veteran cover corner like Gilmore is a potential need.”
Gilmore could also theoretically reunite with Minnesota if summer turmoil rocked the organization once again. Without Gilmore, the Vikings are scheduled to showcase Byron Murphy Jr., Isaiah Rodgers, Mekhi Blackmon, Jeff Okudah, and Dwight McGlothern at cornerback. Minnesota could also explore this week’s draft for a corner like Jahdae Barron (Texas), Shavon Revel Jr. (East Carolina), or Benjamin Morrison (Notre Dame), to name a few examples.
NFL Network‘s Ian Rapoport rather adamantly — for some reason — tabled the notion of Gilmore to Dallas. He tweeted Tuesday, “And the Cowboys are not signing Stephon Gilmore today, while we’re at it.”
Gilmore’s offseason will remain a mystery, though he was physically in Dallas.
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