Stephon Gilmore Doesn’t Hold Back On Potential Cowboys Return

Stephon Gilmore enjoyed a solid season with the Dallas Cowboys this year, and if he has it his way, he would be back in Dallas again in 2024.

The veteran cornerback is slated to hit free agency next month, and he says he would love to return to the Cowboys.

“I want to come back,” Gilmore told DFW Ticket, via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “We can’t talk until March. But that’s the goal, because I think we do have the pieces to get to where we want to go, and I want to be part of that.”

Dallas acquired Gilmore in a trade with the Indianapolis Colts last March.

The 33-year-old played in every game this season, registering 68 tackles, a couple of interceptions, a forced fumble and 13 passes defended.

Of course, as much as Gilmore would like to be back next year, it may not actually be feasible.

The Cowboys are $14 million over the salary cap entering the offseason, so their resources will be limited. On top of that, there may not be much room in the secondary for Gilmore to begin with.

Dallas will be getting superstar cornerback Trevon Diggs back from a torn ACL, and the emergence of DaRon Bland would make it so Gilmore would likely be the third corner on the depth chart.

Unless Gilmore is willing to accept a massive discount, it seems somewhat unlikely that the Cowboys would choose to invest that much money into a No. 3 cornerback when they have other needs and finite financial wherewithal to fill them.

Stephon Gilmore entered the NFL as a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in 2012. He has played for five teams, highlighted by his four-year stretch with the New England Patriots in which he made three Pro Bowls, earned a pair of First-Team All-Pro selections and helped the Patriots win a Super Bowl.