Carolina Panthers cornerback Stephon Gilmore didn’t have to wait long for a revenge game against his former team, the New England Patriots. Bill Belichick traded away Gilmore for a sixth-round pick on Oct. 6, and they will face off against each other on Nov. 7 in Week 9.
Gilmore made his debut for Carolina in Week 8, with 19 snaps and a game-changing interception. It was quite the debut.
“Most of (the snaps) was on third down, passing situations, but he played throughout the game. Played some inside, played some outside,” Belichick said during his press conference on Wednesday.
Belichick was asked what Gilmore meant to the team after four and a half seasons in New England, where he won Defensive Player of the Year and Super Bowl LI, in which he recorded an interception.
“I think we talked about Steph a lot,” Belichick said. “The comments I made before he left — that’s how I feel. I have a lot of respect for him.”
Belichick issued a written statement on the Gilmore trade, but said almost nothing about Gilmore during meetings with the media.
“I am grateful to Stephon Gilmore for his significant contributions to our team. It was a privilege and pleasure to coach Steph,” Belichick wrote, “I appreciate him for the true professional and class act that he is and wish him all the best in the future. Following discussions over a long period of time, we mutually agreed to part ways.”
Gilmore’s matchup against New England should prove fascinating, with the cornerback spending a great deal of time working with quarterback Mac Jones. Gilmore will be well-studied on the rookie.
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