The Dallas Cowboys visit the Buffalo Bills on Sunday in a game that will impact the playoff outlook for both teams. Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore is familiar with the December weather in Buffalo after playing his first five seasons with the Bills.
Gilmore said this week of the weather, “You just never know there, just have to be ready for whatever element that comes.”
Gilmore is playing an important role for the Cowboys’ defense, one of the best in the league. His presence became more important when Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs tore his ACL earlier in the season.
Stephon Gilmore Drafted By Buffalo Bills To Begin NFL Career
The Bills drafted Gilmore, who played at South Carolina, with the 10th overall pick in 2012. He was named first-team All-SEC as a sophomore and junior before leaving for the NFL. Gilmore started all 40 games he played at South Carolina and had eight interceptions.
Gilmore’s best season with Buffalo was in 2016, when he had five interceptions and was named to his first Pro Bowl. In five seasons with Buffalo, he had 14 interceptions and three forced fumbles in 68 games.
The Bills did not use the franchise tag on Gilmore after his rookie contract expired, and he signed with the New England Patriots for the 2017 season.
This week, Gilmore spoke fondly of this time in Buffalo: “They have a great fanbase — one of the best fanbases in the league. I’ve had some great games there. It’s a great organization.”
A Career-Changing Move
After joining the Patriots, Gilmore’s career went to another level, and he was finally able to make the postseason for the first time. I
n the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars, he broke up a pass on fourth down that secured the victory for the Patriots. Gilmore had 10 tackles and six pass breakups in the postseason, but New England lost Super Bowl LII to the Philadelphia Eagles.
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In 2018, Gilmore was selected to his second Pro Bowl and was named first-team All-Pro for the first time in his career. He had two interceptions and was second in the NFL with 20 pass breakups. In Super Bowl LIII, Gilmore forced a fumble and had a late interception to help the Patriots defeat the Los Angeles Rams.
Gilmore’s career season was 2019, being named NFL Defensive Player of the Year. He had a career-high six interceptions and returned two for touchdowns, along with 20 pass breakups.
Gilmore’s Long List of NFL Teams
Injuries slowed Gilmore’s production in his last two seasons with the Patriots, and he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in October 2021. He had two interceptions in eight games with Carolina and was named to his fifth Pro Bowl.
Gilmore signed with the Indianapolis Colts for the 2022 season and had two interceptions during the year. In March, the Colts traded Gilmore to the Cowboys for a late-round draft pick.
Through 13 games with the Cowboys this season, Gilmore has two interceptions and 13 pass breakups. Eagles wide receiver A.J. Brown called Gilmore, 33, old last week, and Gilmore responded by keeping Brown out of the end zone in the Cowboys’ 33-13 win last week.
Gilmore said, “I just didn’t like how he called me old at the beginning of the game. So it lit a fire in me a little bit. I was mad. The only thing I could do was show him I was still here, and I think I did that today.”
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