Stephon Gilmore Opens Up On Patriots, Bill Belichick Before New England Return

The New England Patriots will go against Stephon Gilmore and the Indianapolis Colts on Sunday and the veteran cornerback shared his thoughts on his return to Foxboro.

The Patriots let him go after failing to find a mutual language. Gilmore wanted a better deal, but head coach Bill Belichick took several factors into consideration and released the veteran. The former Patriots cornerback missed a lot of time due to injuries and he is aging. This was a major issue for the Patriots. Yes, Gilmore was the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year, but the Patriots cut ties with him.

Stephon Gilmore has no concerns about his return to New England

Gilmore was traded to the Charlotte Panthers and signed with the Indianapolis Colts this offseason. He is now playing against his former team. The Colts will play against the Patriots in Week 9, but Gilmore is not worried about it. He has nothing but words of praise for Belichick, Robert Kraft, and the rest of the team.

“I had a lot of great games, a lot of accolades, and I got coached by a great coach,” Gilmore told Karen Guregian of the Boston Herald. “(Patriots owner) Robert Kraft was great to me, too. It’s where I played some of my best ball. We won a lot there. So it was a great experience. It was a great place to play. There’s a great atmosphere there. And it’s a great opportunity for me to play there again. To me, it’s one of the best football cities in America.”

Belichick will coach against Gilmore

Belichick helped Gilmore become an even better player. He is the greatest of all coaches and yes, Gilmore is grateful for everything he learned under Belichick.

“I just think the way he prepares, and gets his players to prepare, how he studies throughout the week, that trickled down to me,” Gilmore said Belichick. “I learned a little more about formation recognition and things like that, how to be a pro, how to really lock in on your technique, and how to play different guys certain ways.

“There’s a lot of things I took from that place. I grew as a player there. I’m a better player, a smarter player after I got there, and when I left.”