NFL
Why did Stephon Gilmore sign with the Minnesota Vikings after his time with the Dallas Cowboys?
Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore agreed to a one-year deal worth up to $10 million and ended up on the sixth team of his playing career.
Experienced cornerback Stephon Gilmore has reached an agreement with the Minnesota Vikings. According to reports, he will sign a one-year contract for 7 million dollars guaranteed, which could increase to 10 million dollars.
Dallas is currently working on contract extensions for Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb. They have about $28.6 million in effective cap space, according to Over The Cap. The price for Gilmore’s contract would have made Dallas’s financial situation too complicated.
Dallas prioritizes Prescott and Lamb, and any deal that could affect their contracts would not be in the team’s best interest. Bringing in Gilmore at that price would have limited the team’s flexibility even further.
Gilmore remained a free agent
The 33-year-old cornerback remained with the Dallas Cowboys last season, starting all 17 games and recording 68 tackles, two interceptions, with 13 passes defended; despite being able to sign a new deal with the Lone Star franchise, the Vikings appeared on the radar
The five-time Pro Bowler and two-time All-Pro joins Byron Murphy Jr. and Shaq Griffin as options at the position in having demands in the NFC North for the upcoming season.
The Vikings will be Gilmore’s fourth team in two years after his time with the Cowboys (2023), Indianapolis Colts (2022), and Carolina Panthers (2021). His best moment was during his time with the New England Patriots, and he was named Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, in addition to his time with the Buffalo Bills.