One of the great NFL corners that the game has had is officially calling it a career after 13 years in the league. Former Buffalo Bills cornerback Stephon Gilmore has officially retired from the NFL, which he announced on his Instagram account per Adam Schefter. Gilmore didn't play last season, but now he officially steps away from the game.
Five-time Pro-Bowl CB Stephon Gilmore announced on IG that he is retiring from the NFL. pic.twitter.com/qaMrO2HAKY
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) April 2, 2026
Former Bills CB Stephon Gilmore retires from NFL
The Bills drafted Gilmore back in 2012 out of South Carolina with the 10th overall pick. The hope was that the Bills would be gaining a franchise shutdown corner in Gilmore. In five seasons with the Bills, Gilmore recorded 14 interceptions and had four seasons of 10+ pass deflections.
Gilmore earned Pro Bowl honors in his last season with the Bills, which was the perfect time for him as he was set to hit free agency after the 2016 season. After that season, the Bills were going in a new direction with Sean McDermott so that was the time to change up the roster. Gilmore had played five seasons in Buffalo, and then signed with the New England Patriots.
Unfortunately for Bills fans, Gilmore had a ton of success with the Patriots in four seasons where he became a two time First-Team All-Pro player and won the Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019. He also became a Super Bowl champion while in New England.
Gilmore would have been a great asset to the Bills under McDermott, especially considering what the team turned into under McDermott. Unfortunately, Gilmore had the option to join a dynasty in New England and it heavily paid off for him immediately.
After his tenure with the Patriots, Gilmore went on to play with the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys, and Minnesota Vikings. He did earn one more Pro Bowl honor when he was with the Panthers. However, he still managed to play at a high level in his last three seasons of his career.
While Gilmore didn’t have as much success in Buffalo like he did with New England, he still managed to play some great football early on in his career. It was just too bad that he didn’t become the true shutdown corner that he eventually became in New England.