New England Patriots

Morning sports update: What Bill Belichick and NFL insiders have said about the Stephon Gilmore trade rumors

"The question then becomes what you’re willing to take for him."

Stephon Gilmore Patriots
Stephon Gilmore has been with the Patriots since 2017. Maddie Meyer/Getty Images

By Hayden Bird

4 minutes to read

The Dodgers won the World Series on Tuesday, defeating the Rays in Game 6 by a 3-1 final score. Former Red Sox outfielder Mookie Betts — traded to Los Angeles in February from Boston — hit a home run to help the Dodgers win a championship for the first time since 1988.

And tonight, the Revolution take on the New York Red Bulls with a possible playoff berth on the line. If New England wins, they clinch a playoff spot for the second season in a row. Kickoff is set at 7 p.m.

The Stephon Gilmore trade rumors: It began before the 2020 season, when reports emerged that the Patriots explored trading 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.

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Now, with the Patriots at 2-4 and the NFL trade deadline looming (Nov. 3rd), the 30-year-old cornerback is potentially available for a deal. In addition, there is an unconfirmed report that Gilmore’s house is on the market.

The initial source of the recent Gilmore trade rumors was NFL reporter Albert Breer, who reasoned that — given Gilmore’s contract and the Patriots’ current position — a trade might make sense.

“They got to be real honest about where they are from a building standpoint,” Breer told NBC Sports Boston prior to the Patriots’ loss to the 49ers. “If they’re not going to compete for a championship — which I think is always going to be the bar as long as Bill Belichick’s here — you have to see what you can get for someone like Stephon Gilmore. Because I think chances are he’s not going to be on the team in 2021.

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“They had to move some money from ’21 to ’20 to make him happy this year. He’ll want another raise next year, so I think when they did make the move to move that money up to ’20, there was an acknowledgement that he might not be around next year. And if he’s not going to be around next year, and you don’t think you’re going to compete for a championship this year, then it behooves you to take a look.

“The question then becomes what you’re willing to take for him,” Breer continujed. “Because I don’t think it’s going to be a first-round pick. I can give you guys a list of 10 guys who’ve gone for first-round picks over the last two years — every single one of those guys was 27 years old or younger. So, I don’t think you’re getting a first-round pick for him. But if you’re willing to move him for a second or a third, I think there could be a market out there for him.”

NFL Network reporter Ian Rapoport, speaking with WEEI’s “The Greg Hill Show” on Wednesday morning, said that he’d heard the Gilmore trade rumors before the season.

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“But I haven’t heard them recently,” Rapoport added, noting that “I haven’t gotten anything that’s imminent on Stephon Gilmore.”

Later on Wednesday, Bill Belichick was asked about if he expects Gilmore to be on the team’s roster beyond the trade deadline.

“I don’t know anything about those,” said Belichick of the rumors. Later in the press conference, the Patriots’ coach added some praise of Gilmore’s day-to-day work.

“Steph works hard,” Belichick told reporters. “He’s always ready to go. Changes up what he does based on our game plan, who we’re matched up against, the team we’re playing that particular week. He’s a very flexible player that understands what we’re trying to do and how it all fits together and works hard to do his part in it.”

Gilmore, who tweeted on Oct 22 that he “saw a lot of peoples true colors in 2020,” signed with the Patriots as a free agent in 2017 on a five-year, $65 million deal. He was a part of the team’s Super Bowl LIII victory, making a crucial fourth quarter interception of Rams quarterback Jared Goff.

Trivia: Mookie Betts has now hit home runs in World Series clinching games for multiple teams, becoming just the second player in MLB history to do so. Who was the other?

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(Answer at the bottom).

Hint: He made cameos in several movies, including “Richie Rich,” “BASEketball,” and “The Naked Gun: From the Files of Police Squad!”

More from Boston.com:

Justin Turner was pulled from the World Series due to a positive COVID-19 test

: Still, Turner was somehow allowed on the field to celebrate with teammates after the team won.

Some more stats on Mookie Betts in the World Series:

On this day: In 2007, the Red Sox completed the sweep of the Rockies to win the World Series.

Series MVP Mike Lowell and pinch-hitter Bobby Kielty hit home runs to help power Boston’s offense, and Jonathan Papelbon was there to slam the door shut in the 9th inning, celebrating after the final out of a 4-3 win with customary enthusiasm.

Daily highlight: Marcus Thuram, son of French World Cup winner Lillian, scored against Real Madrid on Tuesday with an emphatic finish. The assist wasn’t bad either. Real rallied late to get a 2-2 draw against Thuram and Borussia Monchengladbach.

Trivia answer: Reggie Jackson

Hayden Bird

Sports Staff

Hayden Bird is a sports staff writer for Boston.com, where he has worked since 2016. He covers all things sports in New England.

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