Stephon Gilmore Finally Hops Aboard the 2024 Minnesota Vikings Ship

The Minnesota Vikings hosted cornerback Stephon Gilmore on a visit at TCO Performance Center early last week. By all accounts, it went great. Obviously the Vikings have an incredible facility, in Eagan, and there’s a reason they finish near the top of the charts in that NFLPA player survey every year.

They have the type of culture that players want to be a part of in 2024. Still, Gilmore left without signing a deal, leaving general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah and head coach Kevin O’Connell still in desperate need of CB help. Once a free agent walks away from a visit, the likelihood they sign with that team drops significantly.

Stephon Gilmore returns to Minnesota Vikings facilities with pen in-hand

But then, early Sunday morning, news broke that Stephon Gilmore would be one of those rare cases. Just like Dalton Risner one season before him, Gilmore flew the TCO coup… just to return, with his pen and suitcases in-hand. Now, he’s a Minnesota Viking. It’s a one year contract worth up to $10 million, with $7 million guaranteed, according to Adam Schefter (ESPN).

ESPN sources: Five-time Pro-Bowl CB Stephon Gilmore has reached an agreement in principle on a one-year deal worth up to $10 million, including $7 million guaranteed with the Minnesota Vikings.

The deal was negotiated and confirmed by Gilmore’s agent Jason Chayut of… pic.twitter.com/WdTBLhXeu7

— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) August 18, 2024

Gilmore is 6 feet tall, 190 pounds. He has 31-inch arms, which means he’s average in that department. But what sets him apart from the average CB is Stephon’s ability to get his hands on a lot of footballs. He has eight seasons with at least 10 pass deflections and has recorded multiple interceptions in 10-of-12 seasons.

Gilmore doesn’t have a lot of youth left in him. At 33-years-old, the former started all 17 games for a Dallas Cowboys defense that had the fifth-best pass defense in the NFL last season. Gilmore will turn 34 next month.

• Stephon Gilmore stats (career): 158 starts, 561 tackles, 31 INT, 2 TD, 140 PD, 7 FF
• Super Bowl champion, 2019 DPOY, 2x All-Pro, five Pro Bowls

Age hasn’t hurt him over at Pro Football Focus, where he held a 74.4 grade in 2023. That’s the highest grade among any current Vikings corners. Only Mekhi Blackmon’s 71.8 grade (injured for the season) even came close.

What’s next for Vikings defense?

At the nickel, Coach Flores is likely to continue being creative, using players like the human Swiss Army knife Josh Metellus. But this position could be used to try a number of different options, depending on the matchup and defensive package the Vikings are in.

Related: Minnesota Vikings Sign New QB, Officially End J.J. McCarthy’s Season

After that core group, it will be a fight to the finish to make the 53-man roster. Former fourth-round pick Akayleb Evans is likely a lock to make the team. But who snags the fifth and potentially sixth cornerback spot is anyone’s guess. This job could go to veteran Fabian Moreau, newly acquired Nahshon Wright (who has freakish 6-foot-4 height), fan-favorite Duke Shelley, or undrafted rookie Dwight McGlothern, to name a few.

Suddenly the Vikings’ cornerback stable is looking formidable again. Whether they’re as good on the field as it looks on paper remains to be seen, but at least Coach Flo has plenty of tools to work with.