Vikings, CB Stephon Gilmore agree to one-year contract

Veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore discovered a house Sunday with the Minnesota Vikings, a staff that has been scouring the free agent and commerce markets this summer season to fortify a place that has been decimated by harm and tragedy.

Gilmore and the Vikings have agreed to a one-year contract price as much as $10 million with $7 million assured, his agent, Jason Chayut of Sportstars Inc., informed ESPN’s Adam Schefter. A two-time first-team All-Professional, Gilmore is the fifth — and by far most vital — cornerback acquisition the Vikings have made this summer season.

He’ll reunite with Vikings defensive coordinator Brian Flores, who was on the New England Patriots’ teaching employees for 2 of Gilmore’s seasons with that staff. Flores was the Patriots’ defensive playcaller in 2018 when Gilmore obtained his first All-Professional nod.

Gilmore, who turns 34 subsequent month, had been unsigned since ending a powerful 2023 season with the Dallas Cowboys. He had offseason surgical procedure to restore a torn labrum and had visited the Vikings’ facility Monday. After the go to, coach Kevin O’Connell stated: “I’ve had a ton of respect in Stephon Gilmore’s profession, enjoying towards him. It is a man that is performed it at a very excessive stage for a very long time.”

The acquisition makes clear that the Vikings will not be writing off the 2024 season even after shedding rookie quarterback J.J. McCarthy to a proper knee harm final week. ESPN’s Soccer Energy Index was projecting them to win 6.8 video games earlier than the Gilmore acquisition.

The Vikings completed their spring practices in June with plans to mix veterans Shaquill Griffin and Byron Murphy Jr. with a gaggle of younger cornerbacks that included Akayleb Evans, Mekhi Blackmon, Andrew Sales space Jr. and rookie fourth-round decide Khyree Jackson.

However Jackson was killed in a July 6 automotive crash. Blackmon tore an ACL on the primary day of coaching camp, Griffin suffered a hamstring harm on the second day of camp, and Sales space was traded Aug. 9 to the Cowboys.

The Vikings have since signed veterans Duke Shelley, Jacobi Francis and Fabian Moreau and purchased Nahshon Wright from the Cowboys within the Sales space commerce. Halfway by way of camp, O’Connell stated the flurry of strikes had made him “be ok with the numbers to have aggressive practices and never tax these guys as they’re all competing,” however he added: “It is a fluid factor.”

Coaches have indicated that that they had hoped to combine in additional man protection of their defensive schemes this season, and when the mud settles, Gilmore, Griffin, Murphy and certain Evans would be the staff’s high 4 cornerbacks.

The Cowboys had acquired Gilmore from the Indianapolis Colts for a fifth-round decide final yr, and he responded with a standout season — beginning all 17 video games and ending with two interceptions and 13 passes defended.

His regular play helped the Cowboys stand up to the lack of Professional Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs to a torn ACL in his left knee after two video games. He was a direct chief within the locker room and helped with the event of DaRon Bland, Diggs’ substitute, who set an NFL document with 5 interception returns for touchdowns and led the league with 9 interceptions.

Gilmore was the NFL Defensive Participant of the 12 months in 2019 with the Patriots. In a profession that has seen him play for 5 groups, he has 31 interceptions in 165 profession video games.

ESPN’s Todd Archer contributed to this report.