Bills receiver John Brown makes a one-handed catch behind former Bills player Stephon Gilmore. Jg 092919 Bills 9 JAMIE GERMANO/ROCHESTER DEMOCRAT AND CHRONICLE, Rochester Democrat and Chronicle via Imagn Content

Stephon Gilmore Remembers Legendary Patriots Career

Originally posted on New England Patriots on SI
By Ethan Hurwitz | Last updated Apr 5, 2026 4:31 PM ET

You'd be hard pressed to find a better New England Patriots player this past decade than Stephon Gilmore.

The shutdown cornerback spent four seasons with the Patriots, winning two conference titles and Super Bowl LIII in 2018. The former first round selection by the Buffalo Bills announced his retirement from pro football this past week, closing a 13-year career that warrants consideration from both the Patriots Hall of Fame and the Pro Football Hall of Fame.

Now Gilmore is speaking out about his time with the Patriots. Speaking to ESPN's Mike Reiss, Gilmore remembered some of his favorite moments in New England and what he believes his legacy is in the NFL.

"I had a lot of great teammates, a lot of great players I played with," Gilmore said. "A legendary coach I learned so much from. I had never been to the playoffs in five years (with the Bills). Having an opportunity to go there and be successful individually and as a team was a great feeling. Seeing the work they put in -- guys like Tom (Brady), Patrick Chung, (Devin) McCourty, (Julian) Edelman -- it pushed me a lot more, too."

Signing with the Patriots as a free agent ahead of the 2017 season, the South Carolina alum wasn't looked on too fondly by fans to start his tenure in Foxboro. He struggled to open up the year, but eventually came on as the team's top cover corner.

His best play that season -- a game-clinching pass breaking against the Jacksonville Jaguars in the AFC Championship -- cemented him into the hearts of Patriots fans for the rest of that year, and the years that followed.

"The Red Jacket ... That's The Goal"

"I think that was No. 2. The No. 1 would be the play in the Super Bowl (against the Los Angeles Rams) to clinch the game with an interception," Gilmore said on his best play as a Patriot. "But the play in the AFC championship was the harder play to make because he was running away from me. I kind of knew the play before it happened just from film study, but that was still harder."

Gilmore's interception in the Super Bowl one year later was his magnum opus, capping off a dominant defensive performance to earn the Patriots their sixth championship ring. He spent two more full years in New England as a ballhawking cornerback and a silent assassin off the field.

He's now enjoying his time as a family man with his wife Gabrielle and his three kids. He told Reiss he might want to get into coaching or scouting, but plans to get into that a little bit later on.

As for his legacy, he hopes some accolades will follow in the near future.

"I left it all out on the field," Gilmore said. "Hopefully, the red jacket, the gold jacket, that's the goal. My style of play, how I played -- mostly a man corner, covered the best guy each and every week, not too many guys can do that week in and week out."

This article first appeared on New England Patriots on SI and was syndicated with permission.

More must-reads: