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2019 DPOY Stephon Gilmore announces NFL retirement

Originally posted on Ball Exclusives | Last updated Apr 2, 2026 5:14 PM ET

Two-time NFL All-Pro cornerback and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore is retiring after 13 season, he announced on Thursday.

“I have had an incredible 13 years in the League, and I cannot wait to see what this next chapter holds,” he wrote on Instagram.

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Gilmore was drafted by the Buffalo Bills as the 10th overall pick in 2012. He went on to play for the Bills for five seasons while earning a Pro Bowl selection in 2016.

He went on to sign a five-year deal with the New England Patriots, where he rose to the next level. On the Patriots, he went racked up four consecutive Pro Bowls, two First-Team All Pros and a Super Bowl ring in 2019.

He was also named the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year.

Gilmore was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021 and went on to play for the Indianapolis Colts, the Dallas Cowboys and the Minnesota Vikings.

James Parker contributed to this story.

This article first appeared on Ball Exclusives and was syndicated with permission.

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