The Colts will find out exactly how and where Gilmore fits soon. That’s what I do, that’s what I’ve been doing my whole career.” “It’s making plays on the ball, whether it’s punching the ball out or just being aggressive on receivers,' he said. Gilmore's self-described aggressive style could help him join that list. The list includes Darrelle Revis, who won a Super Bowl with New England after leaving the New York Jets and Richard Sherman, who helped San Francisco win the 2019 NFC championship before losing to Kansas City in the Super Bowl.Įven Rhodes played well in 2020, his first season with the Colts. Gilmore became the first defensive back selected as the league's defensive player of the year since Hall of Fame safety Troy Polamalu in 2010.Ĭornerbacks switching teams in their 30s have made successful transitions over the past decade. Those stats include a league-high 20 passes defensed and six interceptions, tied for second in the league, during his award-winning season. He flourished after joining New England in 2017 where he had 11 interceptions and broke up 52 passes in four seasons. Gilmore has been one of the league's top cover cornerbacks since Buffalo drafted him with the No. You can’t do that until you put the work in, until you go out each and every week and earn it.” “You have to prove yourself every year, so I take that mindset into each and every year,” he said before addressing whether he could return to his 2019 playing level. The Colts needed cornerbacks after opting not to re-sign cornerback Xavier Rhodes, a three-time Pro Bowler who struggled last season, and trading another starter, Rock Ya-Sin, to the Las Vegas Raiders to get Ngakoue.Īnd Gilmore believes he can help fill the void now that he's healthy. If Gilmore plays anywhere near his previous standard, it will be a major upgrade for a defense that already has three-time All-Pro linebacker Darius Leonard, three additional players with Pro Bowl credentials - defensive tackle DeForest Buckner, cornerback Kenny Moore II and defensive end Yannick Ngakoue, promising second-year pass rushers Kwity Paye and Dayo Odeybingbo and linebacker Bobby Okereke, who finished 14th in the league with 132 tackles last season.

He acknowledged Monday that the injury lingered into last season when he was dealt from New England to Carolina and was limited to just eight games, three starts and 16 tackles.

It's certainly possible - especially if Gilmore returns to his Pro Bowl form though he hasn't been the same since enduring a partially torn quad near the end of the 2020 season.

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