Prolific Cornerback Stephon Gilmore Announced His Retirement From the NFL
Playing cornerback is a tough position to play. You have to be shifty, quick and able to run backwards without losing your footing. That’s why topflight cornerbacks are so valuable. They have to be able to keep up with the fastest wide receivers while trying to anticipate what route they are running. Now one of the best to do it is leaving the game. Prolific cornerback Stephon Gilmore announced his retirement from the NFL on Thursdsay April 2, 2026. After 13 seasons in the league Gilmore has made the decision to hang up his cleats.
After a brief retirement in 2025, Gilmore signed with the Dallas Cowboys. But this time it’s for real as the wily cornerback took to social media to make his statement:
“As a young, scrappy kid from Rock Hill South Carolina with humble beginnings, the eldest of 6 – you gave me focus, opportunity, strength, and friends to last a lifetime.
From my first game with Finley Road Falcons to two Super Bowls, multiple Pro Bowls, and a Defensive Player of the Year Award, you taught me the invaluable lesson of working hard and believing in myself.
To my wife and kids, thank you for making it possible for me to chase my dreams.
To my parents, thank you for raising me to be the man I am today.
To my coaches, thank you for pouring into me.
And to the fans—thank you for your support. I have had an incredible 13 years in the League, and I cannot wait to see what this next chapter holds.”
Gilmore had a great career starting with the Buffalo Bills who drafted him in 2012 out of South Carolina. He spent the first five years of his NFL career becoming a shutdown cornerback. Naturally, the division rival New England Patriots noticed.
Prolific Cornerback Stephon Gilmore Announced His Retirement From the NFL
Gilmore joined the Patriots in 2017 and became one of their best cornerbacks. He had a great first year with the team and in 2019 he won the AP Defensive Player of the Year as he co-led the league with interceptions. And he helped the New England Patriots get to Super Bowl LIII where they won 13-3 against the Los Angeles Rams on Feb 3, 2019.
Sadly, he suffered a season-ending quad injury in 2020 which ended his career with the Patriots. From there he spent a year each with the Carolina Panthers, Indianapolis Colts, Dallas Cowboys and finally the Minnesota Vikings. He was out of the league in 2025, so he made the move to announce his retirement.
Congratulations GillyLock on a long and successful career. Enjoy your retirement and best wishes on your next move!
**Want Even More Sports, News, Hot Takes, Stats as well as Athlete Celebrity Sighting Updates, Insights as well as Trends? Well, be sure to join all of us Sports Feens over on Youtube to get an additional sports fix; and also don’t forget to check out all of our new Podcast topics and episodes. Plus, get fast highlights and trivia daily by following us on TikTok. Just Click HERE**
Thoughts on Prolific Cornerback Stephon Gilmore Announced His Retirement From the NFL? Well let’s connect then you Feen! We are always around on social media posting as well as chatting away. And we would love to hear some POV from you. Therefore, join the discussion and talk all things Sports Feen; athletics as well as breaking industry news related with us by dropping a comment or two. Get into our comment section on YT; or also hit us up on our TikTok page or tweet us @SportsFeen.
