Stephon Gilmore as a member of the Kansas City Chiefs? It might have happened.
The corner revealed quarterback Patrick Mahomes tried to recruit him to Kansas City, while he was still with New England.
It’s certainly a story of what could have been, given that Gilmore ended up being traded to the Carolina Panthers at the 2021 trade deadline. At that point in his career, the corner was two seasons removed from being named the NFL’s Defensive Player of the Year. The 2020 season saw him appear in 11 games and record one interception.
However, a quad injury suffered in 2020 kept him out of 2021 play. There were whispers about Gilmore potentially being moved at the 2021 trade deadline. Even still, Mahomes’ text took him by surprise, as he told ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler.
“You see it and you’re like, ‘what’?” said Gilmore. “…Mahomes gave me his number and we talked — the message was me coming here is a great situation for me. It’s always good to have those relationships around the league where you can talk ball or other things.”
Gilmore ended up finishing the 2021 season in Carolina, recording 16 tackles and two interceptions. He is coming off a 2022 season with the Indianapolis Colts that saw him record 66 tackles and two interceptions.
Although he did not end up with Kansas City, one has to wonder how that may have turned out.
