The five-time Pro Bowler and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year announced his retirement on Instagram, closing the book on one of the most decorated cornerback careers of his generation.
Stephon Gilmore grew up the eldest of 6 children in Rock Hill, South Carolina, a self-described scrappy kid with humble beginnings who turned football into a 13-year professional career. Today, he announced that career is over.
The 35-year-old cornerback shared his retirement on Instagram, reflecting on a journey that took him from youth football in South Carolina to two Super Bowls, five Pro Bowl selections, two first-team All-Pro honors, a Super Bowl ring, and the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award. He thanked his family, coaches, and fans in the post and said he cannot wait to see what the next chapter of his life holds.
A career built on elite coverage
Gilmore entered the league as a first-round pick of the Buffalo Bills in the 2012 NFL Draft out of the University of South Carolina. He spent his first 5 seasons in Buffalo before signing with the New England Patriots in 2017, a move that elevated him from a solid starter to one of the most feared cornerbacks in football.
His 4 seasons in New England represented the peak of his career. He won a Super Bowl with the Patriots in the 2018 season, contributing 2 interceptions and 5 passes defensed during the team’s three-game postseason run to the championship. The following year, he had the best individual season of any cornerback in the league, leading the NFL with 6 interceptions and 20 passes defensed to earn Defensive Player of the Year honors. He was named first-team All-Pro in both 2018 and 2019.
Superstar CB Stephon Gilmore, one of the best corners of his generation, has announced his retirement. pic.twitter.com/1vZ02S9MH6
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) April 2, 2026
The final stops on a long road
After his time in New England came to an end, Gilmore’s career took him through 4 more franchises over the next several years. He was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021, then signed with the Indianapolis Colts for the 2022 season, where he made 16 starts and recorded 2 interceptions, 13 passes defensed, and 66 total tackles. The Colts traded him to the Dallas Cowboys in 2023. His final regular-season action came with the Minnesota Vikings in 2024.
He did not play in 2025 after going unsigned in free agency, making today’s announcement the formal close to a chapter that had already quietly wound down.
What the numbers say about his legacy
Gilmore finishes his career having appeared in 180 games with 173 starts. His final stat line includes 32 interceptions, 149 passes defensed, and 617 total tackles. Those figures place him comfortably among the most productive cornerbacks of the past two decades, and his 2019 Defensive Player of the Year season remains one of the standout individual cornerback campaigns in recent NFL history.
In his 4 seasons with the Patriots alone, Gilmore recorded 52 passes defensed, 3 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, and 185 tackles across 56 games, numbers that reflected how thoroughly he was able to take opposing wide receivers out of games on a week-to-week basis.
A legacy defined by more than stats
What made Gilmore’s career memorable was not just the volume of his production but the consistency with which he performed at the highest level for an extended stretch. At his peak, he was the kind of cornerback who could be assigned to the opposing team’s best receiver and largely neutralize that player for an entire game. That ability is rare, and it defined his reputation across the league.
He was not the biggest or the fastest cornerback of his era, but few were more technically precise or more prepared. His retirement brings a genuine close to one of the better careers the position has seen in the modern NFL, and the acknowledgment he gave in his post to the people who helped him get there made clear that he understood exactly what it meant.