Stephon Gilmore calls out New England Patriots for handling of injury

Former New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore wasn’t pleased with the way the team handled his rehab from a quad injury. In a recent article from The Athletic, Gilmore criticized the Patriots staff for making him do too much.

“I didn’t show up there over the summer, so I was on the right track,” he said. “And then I show up there and start on all the unnecessary stuff. Like, right before I got traded, I ran like 3,000 yards in three days. Like a real workout. It’s like, why would you do all that right before you trade me? You don’t do that. Let me do it my way. I don’t know if they were trying to test (the leg) and see, I don’t know. I’m not the type of guy that says, ‘Oh, I don’t want to do that.’ I work hard. I do my stuff. I just think that wasn’t right.”

A former Pro Bowler, Gilmore underwent surgery for the injury last December. He anticipated working his way back to play for New England, but the team had other plans.

On Oct. 6, the Patriots traded Stephon Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a sixth-round draft pick. He did not play a game for New England in 2021.

The veteran made his 2021 debut on Halloween in the Panthers’ game against Atlanta. So far this season, he has recorded eight tackles, two interceptions and two passes defended.

“When you return to play, you want to rehab back to return to play,” Gilmore said. “But I felt like they were doing more workouts than rehab, more working out like someone (who) was 100% healthy and in the offseason program. But I was rehabbing, coming back from surgery. So that’s different. I think you should take steps to come back and play.”

Despite the way his tenure with the Patriots ended, Gilmore is choosing to look on the bright side. He is eligible to become an unrestricted free agent this offseason, so his performance in the final month of the regular season is pivotal.

If he can prove that he is still one of the elite players in the league, perhaps he can land a big payday. He is just two seasons removed from leading the league in both interceptions (6) and passes defended (20) in 2019.

“It was just making me do all types of running and lifting way more than I was supposed to,” he said. “I’m just happy everything — I feel like God puts you in a position to be in a better place. They handled it right (in Carolina), and I’m on the right track. I feel good — better and better every week. And I feel more confident.”

Coming off of a bye week, Gilmore and the Panthers are set to take on the Atlanta Falcons at 1 p.m. ET on Sunday.