Three Cornerbacks the Chiefs Should Pursue in Free Agency

Stephon Gilmore

I would be ecstatic if the Kansas City Chiefs could work out a deal to bring in Stephon Gilmore. KC was rumored to be interested in Stephon Gilmore before he was traded to the Carolina Panthers in 2021-22. He will be turning 32 in the coming season, but there is still a lot of juice left in the tank. Gilmore is a former Defensive Player of the Year, and a two-time 1st Team All-Pro will be looking for a new home. He stands 6’1″ and weighs 202 lbs.

Gilmore is an elite cornerback and has played on some good football teams. He was drafted in the 1st round with the 10th overall pick out of South Carolina to the Buffalo Bills in 2012. After playing with the Bills, Gilmore would sign a five-year deal worth $65,000,000 in March 2017. While with the Patriots, Gilmore would win a Super Bowl ring, adding to his accolades.

In 2020 Gilmore was targeted 49 times, and of those, only 28 were completed (57.1%) for 326 yards. He added one interception and one touchdown while the opposing quarterbacks only had a rating of 75.7 against him. Gilmore had 37 combined tackles with only seven missed (15.9%). In 2021 he was out with an injury until he was traded to the Carolina Panthers. While with the Panthers, Gilmore played in eight games and was targeted 25 times, with 17 completed (68%) for 159 yards. The opposing quarterbacks had a 78.6 rating against him. A case can be made he was still recovering from his leg injury, and with another offseason, he would be back to 100% health.

According to spotrac.com, Gilmore’s market value is two years, $28,301,480, and would be an average salary of $14,150,740. This would rank him 95th overall in the NFL and 8th at the cornerback position. Gilmore is very capable of playing at an elite level, and his comparisons are to Darius Slay, Joe Haden, Kyle Fuller, and Logan Ryan. There are some factors I believe can work in favor of his decision. One, he would be coming to a football team that competes in the playoffs and has gone to four consecutive AFC title games. Secondly, he would be surrounded by other talented corners such as L’Jarius Sneed and Rashad Fenton. General manager Brett Veach likes former 1st round players, and if the money is right I think this is a good fit for Gilmore.