Stephon Gilmore visited the Minnesota Vikings’ facility in Eagan on August 13 but left without a contract. Still, the Vikings seemed to feel good about meeting with the five-time Pro Bowl corner.
Brian Flores coached Gilmore with the New England Patriots in 2017 and 2018, and he offered a knowing grin when a fan asked him about the meeting. Kevin O’Connell felt that Minnesota had effectively showcased its culture during the meeting.
“The important thing is we’re very proud of the atmosphere, our locker room, our players,” O’Connell said. “So, I always think it’s a positive when we can just allow guys to get a little sneak preview, sneak peek of what they may be joining if all things work out.”
A lot has happened since then. J.J. McCarthy showed out in Minnesota’s first preseason game on August 10. However, the Vikings held him out of practice with knee soreness on the day Gilmore met with Minnesota, and an MRI revealed that McCarthy had a torn meniscus that requires surgery and will keep him out for the entire season.
That alone would be enough to give Gilmore second thoughts about signing with the Vikings. However, Jordan Addison suffered an ankle injury in joint practices with the Cleveland Browns on August 14, and Justin Jefferson and Sam Darnold haven’t immediately formed chemistry in practice. Still, Gilmore, 33, signed with Minnesota on Sunday.
The McCarthy news likely didn’t influence Gilmore’s decision-making. McCarthy is the first first-round quarterback in the common draft era (since 1967) to miss the entire season. However, the Vikings likely weren’t going to start him immediately. Addison also avoided a significant injury, so he should be available – assuming the league doesn’t suspend him for the DUI he incurred over the summer.
Still, the Vikings face a challenging early-season schedule. They should beat the New York Giants on the road in Week 1. However, after that, they play the San Francisco 49ers, Houston Texans, Green Bay Packers, New York Jets (in London), Detroit Lions, and Los Angeles Rams to start the season.
They won’t survive if Jefferson and Darnold haven’t developed chemistry, especially because the Vikings placed T.J. Hockenson on the active/physically unable to perform (PUP) list to start the season. Ed Ingram played in Minnesota’s first preseason game because he’s still a work in progress, and they must figure out who will be their third receiver.
That may not concern Gilmore, though. He plays on the other side of the ball, and the Vikings significantly invested in their defense. They signed Jonathan Greenard, Blake Cashman, and Andrew Van Ginkel and traded up to draft Dallas Turner. He will also play for Flores, with whom he won the Super Bowl in 2018.
Minnesota should tank if they get off to a slow start because they’d have the rare opportunity to get another franchise quarterback while McCarthy is developing. Given the physical nature of learning footwork and lost development while rehabbing for surgery, McCarthy may need another year to develop. The Vikings also can’t know whether he’ll pan out yet.
However, if they bottom out, they can trade Gilmore. He can adapt to other defenses after playing for four teams after spending 2017 to 2021 with the New England Patriots. Suppose the Vikings survive their early-season schedule, though. In that case, they have a relatively easy stretch in the middle that would allow them to keep pace with an increasingly competitive NFC North.
The Vikings have faced significant adversity early this season. They brought in Gilmore because they needed a cornerback after Khyree Jackson’s tragic death and Mekhi Blackmon’s ACL injury. Perhaps Gilmore believes Minnesota is good enough to make it through the first seven weeks around .500 and go on a run in the middle of the season. Maybe he thinks he’s the missing piece to turn the Vikings into a winner.
