A behind-the-scenes look at Panthers’ trade for Stephon Gilmore and how it came to be

When Panthers general manager Scott Fitterer said he’d be “in on every deal” at his introductory press conference, he wasn’t joking.

The Panthers began to hear rumors Tuesday night that the Patriots were interested in parting ways with former All-Pro cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who was in the final year of his contract and was looking for a new deal.

Panthers director of player personnel Pat Stewart contacted Dave Ziegler, who is in the same role with the Patriots, Wednesday morning, and by the afternoon a deal had been made.

In exchange for Gilmore, 31, the Panthers gave the New England Patriots a 2023 sixth-round pick.

“This is the way Scott’s wired, and I don’t want to sit around and wait to win,” Panthers coach Matt Rhule said. “We have a good team right now and we’re trying to become a great team.”

Rhule added that getting Gilmore was “too good of an opportunity,” to pass up, and saw it as an opportunity to get a “great player.”

Gilmore won’t be able to play for the Panthers this week against the Eagles. He was set to come off the Physically Unable to Perform list after recovering from a quad injury suffered last year, but because he was traded, Gilmore will stay on the PUP list and can’t practice until after Week 6 — ahead of the Panthers’ game at the New York Giants.

The Panthers expect Gilmore to be available by then.

Gilmore is the second trade for a cornerback the Panthers have made in as many weeks. The Panthers traded with the Jaguars for cornerback C.J. Henderson on Sept. 27. With rookie cornerback Jaycee Horn out for an extended time, the Panthers are looking for ways to shore up their secondary. They saw Gilmore as a good fit and way to allow their younger players to grow into their roles at cornerback instead of thrusting them into a starting role right away.

If Gilmore plays well, the Panthers could extend his deal if the price is right.

But other players like Donte Jackson, DJ Moore and Brian Burns are of a higher priority.

Gilmore had been unhappy with his contract, according to the Boston Globe, and the sides could not come to agreement on a restructured deal.

Carolina will take on the remaining part of Gilmore’s contract this season. He had a salary-cap number of $16.2 million, according to overthecap.com. The Patriots have paid $7 million of it and are on the hook for his roster bonus, according to the terms of his deal, which was acquired by The Observer.

The Panthers are responsible for the remaining 13 weeks of his contract, which is $5.05 million. He also has a “per-game roster bonus,” for each week he’s active. He has the opportunity to earn $5.44 million in bonuses.

The Panthers, which had about $19.3 million in cap space before the trade, will have about $14.2 million remaining. The Panthers could make another move, but also want to carry money over to the 2022 offseason.

Gilmore spent his first five seasons with the Buffalo Bills and the last four with the New England Patriots. He’s had an interception in every season he has played.

Gilmore was named Associated Press NFL Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, and was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2018 and 2019.

He had 53 tackles, 20 pass deflections six interceptions for 129 yards and two defensive touchdowns in 2019. However, last season he struggled. He played in 11 games, had one interception, one forced fumble and three pass deflections.

“He’s a dang good player,” quarterback Sam Darnold said. “I had a few of my toughest games against him, so for him to join us, I’m excited about it.”

The move to get Gilmore shows that the Panthers are in “win-now” mode. They started the season 3-0 before losing to the Dallas Cowboys on Sunday, 36-28. The secondary was one of their weak spots.

Panthers’ players said they found out after arriving to practice on Wednesday. They received alerts on their phones.

“That’s pretty dope,” Jackson said, when asked about Gilmore’s addition. “I’m excited to start working with him. He’s a guy I’ve been studying since he got to the league.”

Gilmore is a native of Rock Hill, S.C., and played college football at South Carolina before becoming the 10th overall draft pick in 2012.

He still has a home in Waxhaw, and lives three doors down from Fitterer.

Stephon Gilmore career stats

This story was originally published October 6, 2021 at 1:18 PM.