New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore (24) talks with a member of the Arizona Cardinals prior to the start of the game at Gillette Stadium. Bob DeChiara-USA TODAY Sports

Stephon Gilmore has yet to report to the New England Patriots this offseason, but there seems to be plenty of optimism surrounding the situation.

Gilmore, who is set to make less than $8 million this season, wants a new contract. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler said on “SportsCenter” Thursday that the Patriots are open to giving him one. The two sides are expected to sit down before training camp in hopes of working out an extension.

There was talk early in the offseason that the Patriots wanted to trade Gilmore, but that was before they went on a free-agent spending spree. Now, the belief is that Bill Belichick is committed to contending in 2021, and it would be a lot tougher for New England to do that without Gilmore.

While Gilmore is coming off a significant quad injury, he’s still one of the best cornerbacks in football when healthy. At least one rival player has tried to recruit Gilmore, but all signs point to the Patriots doing what they can to keep him around.

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