New England Patriots

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore won a Super Bowl and Defensive Player of the Year during his time with the New England Patriots and harbors no ill will toward the franchise for ending their time together with a trade.

Gilmore told reporters he has "no hard feelings" toward New England after it traded him to the Carolina Panthers.

The Panthers announced they acquired Gilmore for a 2023 sixth-round pick on Wednesday.

The Patriots kept Gilmore on the physically unable to perform list in August, which meant he was sidelined until at least Week 7. He suffered a quad injury near the end of the 2020 campaign and has not yet appeared in a game this season.

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported New England and the cornerback failed to agree to a restructured contract prior to the trade.

While Gilmore is 31 years old with injury concerns after he played just 11 games last year, his resume includes four Pro Bowl nods, two All-Pro selections and the Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 when he tallied 53 tackles, 20 passes defended, six interceptions, one fumble recovery and two defensive touchdowns.

He led the league in interceptions and passes defended that season.

Gilmore spent his first five seasons in the league with the Buffalo Bills and had been with the Patriots since 2017. He joins a Panthers team that needed cornerback depth after Jaycee Horn suffered a broken foot and responded by trading for Gilmore and C.J. Henderson.

Carolina acquired Henderson from the Jacksonville Jaguars.

The Panthers have been one of the surprises of the 2021 season to this point with a 3-1 record and now have a cornerback who isn't far removed from being the best defender in the league.

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore may not have ended up with the Green Bay Packers, but it wasn't because of a lack of effort from Davante Adams, who had made a recruiting pitch Wednesday.

The 31-year-old Gilmore sent a goodbye message to the New England Patriots on his Instagram page, providing an opening for Adams to show his interest. Though ESPN's Adam Schefter had initially reported the defensive back was going to be released, the Patriots wound up trading Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers for a 2023 sixth-round pick.

Hours after the trade went through, Adams revealed Gilmore never gave him a call:

According to Greg A. Bedard of Boston Sports Journal, the Packers were considered a favorite to land the corner prior to the Panthers deal.

Gilmore spent the past four years with New England, earning three Pro Bowl selections.

It would have been a significant addition for Green Bay if the cornerback proves to be healthy. Gilmore has spent the start of the year on the physically unable to perform list due to the quad injury that ended his 2020 season, but he is eligible to play after Week 6.

When on the field, the veteran is one of the best in the league at his position. Gilmore was named first-team All-Pro in both 2018 and 2019, winning the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019 when he led the NFL with six interceptions. He added a league-high 20 passes defended with two defensive touchdowns that season.

Even after an injury-filled 2020, a vote of 50 league personnel rated Gilmore as the No. 4 cornerback in the NFL heading into 2021, per ESPN's Jeremy Fowler.

He could've helped a Packers squad that has Super Bowl aspirations but question marks defensively. The unit is tied for 19th in the league in points allowed, while only three teams have allowed more passing touchdowns this season.

Pairing Gilmore with Jaire Alexander or 2021 first-round pick Eric Stokes would've given Green Bay an elite secondary that puts the team one step closer to a championship. But unfortunately for Adams and Co., Gilmore will be heading to North Carolina rather than Wisconsin.

One of the best cornerbacks in the NFL is unexpectedly a free agent with many teams starved for help in pass coverage. 

Per ESPN's Adam Schefter, Stephon Gilmore is expected to have a "robust" market, with "multiple" clubs likely to be interested. 

Schefter first reported Wednesday that the New England Patriots were releasing the four-time Pro Bowl defensive back in a cost-saving move. 

Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus added the Patriots attempted to trade Gilmore prior to the decision to release him. However, upon news of Gilmore's imminent release, teams have reached out to the Patriots to express interest in a trade, per Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

Gilmore has yet to play this season after being placed on the physically unable to perform list on Aug. 31. He will be eligible to return after Week 6. 

During training camp and the preseason, Gilmore was a holdout as he sought a new contract from the Patriots. The two-time All-Pro told NFL reporter Josina Anderson in July that he was only seeking to be paid what he's worth. 

"Every player should be paid what they're worth," Gilmore said. "That’s just how it is."

Gilmore missed five games last season, including the final two with a partially torn quad. His recovery from that injury is what landed him on the PUP list to begin the 2021 campaign. 

The Patriots signed Gilmore to a five-year, $65 million deal in March 2017. The 31-year-old had a $7 million base salary this season prior to his release. 

Per Pro Football Focus, Gilmore ranks first among all cornerbacks, with a 90.4 overall grade since 2018. He led the NFL with 20 pass breakups and six interceptions in 2019 to win the Associated Press Defensive Player of the Year award.    

Stephon Gilmore's time in New England is over. 

ESPN's Adam Schefter reported Wednesday that the Patriots plan to release the veteran cornerback, who has spent the 2021 season on the physically unable to perform list.

Gilmore confirmed Schefter's report by posting the following statement on Twitter regarding his departure:

Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus reported the Patriots attempted to trade Gilmore before his release.

Gilmore came into the offseason with a complicated contract situation. The team restructured his deal in 2020, essentially moving $4.5 million from the 2021 season to 2020. That was the equivalent of a cash advance, but it meant his lower 2021 salary would likely bring another round of negotiations between him and the Pats. 

Schefter shed more light on the financial details involved in Gilmore's release:

Rumors circulated in the offseason that he might be traded, especially after he skipped the team's mandatory minicamps, which proved to be prescient. 

The 31-year-old remains one of the top corners in the game when healthy. He is a four-time Pro Bowler, two-time first-team All-Pro, one-time Super Bowl champion and the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year. He appeared in 11 games in 2020, registering 37 tackles, an interception, three passes defended and a forced fumble.

Gilmore was named to the Pro Bowl in each of the past three seasons, and he enjoyed one of the best seasons ever by a cornerback in 2019 when he recorded six interceptions and 20 passes defended, both of which led the NFL.

Although he began his career with the Buffalo Bills and played there for five seasons, Gilmore came into his own as part of Patriots head coach Bill Belichick's defensive system.

While Gilmore hasn't played this season because of a quad injury, he was scheduled to come off the PUP list in Week 6, meaning he may soon be ready to play for whichever team signs him.

The Patriots are 1-3 and seemingly on track for a second straight season without the playoffs, so Gilmore has the opportunity to catch on with a contender and vie for a second career Super Bowl win.

Jamie Collins and the New England Patriots have agreed to a contract after the linebacker's release from the Detroit Lions, according to his agent David Canter.

ESPN's Field Yates first reported Tuesday that Collins and the Patriots were working toward a contract.

Collins played two games for the Lions this season, totaling 10 tackles with a fumble recovery, but the team began exploring potential trades after Week 2, per ESPN's Adam Schefter. He was held out of the Week 3 game against the Baltimore Ravens before being waived.

It's a disappointing turn of events for a player who signed a three-year, $30 million contract in 2020. The deal reunited the 31-year-old with Lions head coach Matt Patricia, who served as his defensive coordinator with the Patriots, but he was fired after a 4-7 start to the year.

Collins was effective on the field during his first year with the team, leading Detroit with 101 tackles in 14 games in 2020. He also added one sack, one interception and three forced fumbles.

The problem was Detroit finished dead last in the NFL in both yards and points allowed, requiring significant changes throughout the roster.

It gives Collins a chance at a fresh start after proving he can be an impact player during his multiple stints with the Patriots. He was a Pro Bowler and second-team All-Pro in 2015 as a versatile player who excelled against both the run and pass, while he set a career high with seven sacks in 2019.

New England is hoping he can regain this form for the rest of 2021, putting him in a spot where he has found the most success in his career. 

The New England Patriots have placed offensive linemen Isaiah Wynn and Mike Onwenu on the reserve/COVID list, per Field Yates of ESPN.

Each player has started all four games for the Patriots so far this season.

According to Mike Reiss of ESPN, Yodny Cajuste and Ted Karras could fill in on the left side of the offensive line until the starters return.

Karras replaced Onwenu at left guard during Sunday's 19-17 loss to the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, per Reiss.

It was the first offensive snaps of the season for Karras, per Pro Football Reference, after he had served as starting center last season with the Miami Dolphins and in 2019 with New England.

Onwenu spent last season at right tackle, starting all 16 games after being selected in the sixth round of the 2020 draft.

Wynn was a first-round pick in 2018 and has started every game he has played in his career, but he is no stranger to missed action. His entire rookie year was lost because of a torn Achilles and has been limited to only 18 games over the past two years.  

Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady used a fitting comparison to describe how strange it felt to face his former team at Gillette Stadium on Sunday night.

In a post on his Instagram story, Brady wrote: "Running out of the opposite tunnel felt like driving in England."

Sunday marked the first time in his 22-year NFL career that Brady faced the New England Patriots as a visitor. Brady played for the Pats and called Gillette Stadium home for two decades before signing with the Bucs prior to the 2020 season.

Brady established himself as one of the greatest players in NFL history while with the Pats, winning six Super Bowls, four Super Bowl MVP awards and three NFL MVP awards.

He further cemented his status last season by leading the Buccaneers to a win over the Kansas City Chiefs in Super Bowl LV and being named Super Bowl MVP for a fifth time.

As expected, Brady received a warm welcome Sunday night when he ran out of the tunnel prior to the game. The fans did boo when Tampa's offense took the field for the first time, however.

It was far from a vintage performance from Brady, who threw for 269 yards with no touchdowns or interceptions, but he did enough in what was a hard-fought 19-17 win for the Bucs.

Brady also made history during the game, passing Drew Brees to become the all-time NFL leader in passing yards.

New England Patriots head coach Bill Belichick said Monday he wouldn't reveal details about his private meeting with Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady following their highly anticipated Sunday Night Football matchup.

"I don't know what everybody else thinks. I know my relationship with Tom and it's been a great one over 20 years," Belichick said on WEEI's The Greg Hill Show. "I keep all my conversations with Tom personal, like I always have."

Belichick also downplayed claims made in an upcoming book, It's Better To Be Feared, by ESPN's Seth Wickersham about the franchise's six-championship dynasty.

"I don't think I'm ever surprised by that type of media coverage," Belichick said on WEEI. "I don't think I ever even talked to the guy, so I don't know him. You have to ask him what his great sources are. I'm not sure."

Brady and the Bucs scored a 19-17 win in his return to Gillette Stadium.

After only a brief on-field interaction after the final whistle, Belichick went into the Buccaneers' locker room after Sunday's game and spent around 20 minutes inside before walking out with Brady, according to Jeff Howe of The Athletic.

Like his former coach, the future Hall of Fame quarterback told NBC Sports' Peter King he wasn't interested in providing any information about what they discussed, but Brady also felt their prior relationship wasn't receiving accurate coverage:

It was a very personal, private thing. We've always had that type of relationship where we can say things to each other. You know, whoever characterizes our relationship is completely wrong. People want to focus on so much stuff that's so unimportant. You know? We were together for 20-plus years and we were so productive and successful and I learned so much from him. Loved my experience here, loved my relationship with him.

Brady expanded further during his postgame press conference:

There were basically co-main events Sunday night: the game itself and what would happen between Belichick and Brady.

Earlier in the week, Wickersham released excerpts from his book, including one that suggested Brady told people close to him he didn't want to play for Belichick anymore as early as 2017.

Wickersham also reported the coach's belief that owner Robert Kraft started to undermine the roster-building process in favor of Brady. That led to a separate Belichick-Kraft clash in which Kraft called his coach a "f--king assh--e" in a conversation with friends.

While Brady, Belichick and Kraft will probably never confirm any intimate details of their two decades together that created one of sports' most successful dynastic runs, there were no signs of lingering problems as Brady and Kraft also embraced before Sunday's game:

The bottom line is that any professional relationship that last two decades is likely to have some ups and downs, but the Belichick-Brady Patriots were right there with the Gregg Popovich-Tim Duncan San Antonio Spurs in terms of model organizations in all of sports in the first 20 years of the 2000s.

It appears any problems that did develop late in Brady's time in New England have started to fade away as he continues to dominate the NFL as a member of the Bucs.