Stephon Gilmore is the latest NFL star to skip mandatory minicamp.
The New England Patriots' veteran cornerback, who was named the league's Defensive Player of the Year in 2019, didn't report to the team's first day of minicamp on Monday, according to multiple reports. He intends to sit out the entire three-day session, seeking a new contract.
Gilmore, 30, is entering the final year of a five-year, $65 million free agent deal with the Patriots, set to earn a base salary of $7 million. So, will New England soon acquiesce to Gilmore's demands? NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport discussed the situation during Monday's edition of The Zach Gelb Show.
"He's not going to play on the final year of his deal with New England. I don't see any scenario where that happens," Rapoport said. "Not going to play on $7 million, and I think the Patriots probably know that because they're pretty smart. There's some options. He could be a type of third contract like Darius Slay got -- three years, $50 million. Could be just a one-year, band-aid deal to give him some upfront money and kind of make him happy for a year, and then you address it again later. Or, someone gets an injury to a star corner and they have to have him, and they say, 'We'll give you a first-round pick for Stephon Gilmore' or something like that.
"Those are the scenarios, and I don't know which [will happen]. Some of it depends on the health of some other teams, because there really are some things that need to be sorted out before they figure out his reality... [I think a new contract before Week 1] is maybe the most likely scenario. But again, if another corner gets injured from some contending team, somebody might say, 'You know what, I don't want to give up a one, but it's worth it. So I'm going to.' Really, really tough to know."
Gilmore, a four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, had a league-high six interceptions and 20 pass breakups in 2019. He missed the Patriots' final two games in 2020 with a partially torn quad, and finished the campaign with one pick and three pass breakups across 11 games.
By skipping mandatory minicamp, Gilmore is susceptible to $93,000 in fines.
The entire NFL conversation between Rapoport and Gelb can be accessed in the audio player above.
You can follow The Zach Gelb Show on Twitter @ZachGelb and Tom Hanslin @TomHanslin.