Report: Minnesota Vikings sign former Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore to 1-year, $10 million deal

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore has reached an agreement in principle with the Minnesota Vikings on a one-year deal worth up to $10 million, including $7 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter.

Schefter also added that the deal was negotiated and confirmed to him by Gilmore’s agent Jason Chayut of Sportstars.

The Vikings will be Gilmore’s sixth team in the NFL and Minnesota will be his fifth team since the start of the 2021 season. One of those teams who Gilmore previously played for was the Carolina Panthers and they made a push to resign him too. However, per ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, the Vikings’ offer was over the top.

Stephon Gilmore is now one of the best veterans in the NFL. He initially was a first-round pick in the 2012 NFL Draft by the Buffalo Bills. Following his time there, he signed a deal with the New England Patriots for five years and $65 million. There, he became one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL, twice being named an All-Pro selection. He was also the NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 when he led the NFL in interceptions with six. Gilmore was also a key member of the team that won Super Bowl LIII.

In 2021, New England traded Gilmore to Carolina. There, he finished the last year of his contract. He would go on to sign with the Indianapolis Colts on a two-year deal. He spent one season there before being traded to the Dallas Cowboys for the 2023 season.

For his career, Gilmore has played in 165 games. He has 31 interceptions and 140 passes defended. On top of that, Gilmore has 561 combined tackles, 481 of which are solo tackles. With that, he’s also been named to the Pro Bowl five different times.

The decision to sign with Minnesota reunited Stephon Gilmore with Brian Flores. Now the defensive coordinator in Minnesota, he was a defensive assistant for part of the time that Gilmore spent in New England.

Stephon Gilmore is joining a Minnesota Vikings team that is hoping to compete in the NFC North this year. However, injuries have already started to take their toll on the team. That, notably, includes first-round pick J.J. McCarthy who is going to be out for the season with a torn meniscus. He’s not alone, though, with wide receiver Jordan Addison recently getting carted off the field. On top of that, Jabril Cox is on IR, TJ Hockenson is currently out, and NaJee Thompson is out.

Thompson is, like Gilmore, a defensive back. On top of that, another cornerback, Shaquill Griffin is currently dealing with a hamstring issue.