The Vikings are signing cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who is currently out of contract, to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, with $7 million guaranteed.
ESPN sources: Five-time Pro Bowl CB Stephon Gilmore has reached an agreement in principle with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year contract worth up to $10 million, including $7 million guaranteed.
The deal was negotiated and confirmed by Gilmore’s agent Jason Chayut… pic.twitter.com/WdTBLhXeu7
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) 18 August 2024
After Gilmore visited the TCO Performance Center last Monday, the two sides were able to finalize a deal. This is a big addition for the Vikings, who needed another proven starter on the wing. Gilmore turns 34 in September, but has continued to play at a very high level over the past few years.
Last season, Gilmore started all 18 games for the Cowboys (including playoffs) and logged over 1,000 snaps. His regular-season PFF grade of 74.4 ranked 22nd among 88 cornerbacks who played at least 500 snaps. The year before, his 79.1 grade for the Colts ranked 8th among 82 players. At his age, there’s always a risk that his performance will drop, but that clearly hasn’t happened yet.
Gilmore, the 10th overall pick in the 2012 draft out of South Carolina, is now playing alongside Harrison Smith, also a 2012 first-round pick, in the Vikings’ secondary for their 13th NFL season. They are two of only 11 players from that draft class – and the only defensive backs – currently on the active roster.
Gilmore spent his first five seasons with the Bills and made the Pro Bowl in 2016. He then signed with the Patriots in 2017 and took his career to the next level. He was a first-team All-Pro player in the 2018 season and won the Super Bowl. The following year, he was named NFL Defensive Player of the Year, joining Charles Woodson as the only cornerback to win the DPOY since Deion Sanders in 1994.
This year will be his fifth team in five seasons, but Gilmore is still considered a big addition for Minnesota. He will likely start alongside Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin in Brian Flores’ defense, relegating Akayleb Evans and Fabian Moreau to backup roles. Gilmore played under Flores in New England for two seasons in 2017 and 2018.
“I had a lot of respect for Stephon Gilmore’s career when I played against him,” Kevin O’Connell said Saturday after reports surfaced that Gilmore would visit Minnesota. “This is a guy who has been playing at a really high level for a long time.”
In his career, Gilmore was a five-time Pro Bowler, two-time first-team All-Pro and one-time DPOY with 31 interceptions, 140 total pass breakups and seven forced fumbles in 165 regular season games.
