FOXBOROUGH, Massachusetts. New England Patriots quarterback Stephon Gilmore will open the 2021 NFL season on reserve / physically unable to make the roster, meaning he will miss at least the first six weeks of the season, Gilmore’s agent said. Jason Chayut, confirmed to ESPN on Tuesday.
Gilmore, 30, has recovered from a torn quad he suffered in week 15 of last season. The injury required out-of-season surgery.
Gilmore had also skipped the Patriots ’mandatory minicamp in June out of dissatisfaction with his contract, which calls for him to earn a base salary of $ 7 million in 2021, the last year of his deal. But he reported on training on time and has been an active participant in team meetings, according to coaches.
“I won’t talk about his injury, but I will say his involvement in the building has been phenomenal,” cornerbacks coach Mike Pellegrino said last week. “I joked about being ‘Coach Steph.’ He’s been great at working with the guys, being in the room, communicating, not being quiet. So he’s been on the front lines all along.”
Players who open the season on the reserve list / PUP are not eligible to start practicing during the first six games. After that time, there is a five-week window in which teams can get the player to start practicing. Once a player begins to practice, the team has up to three weeks to decide whether that player will be activated on the roster or placed on the end-of-season injury reserve list.
The Patriots switched last week for rookie cornerback Shaun Wade, a move that perhaps hinted that the team would know they would play the first six games of the season (and possibly more) without Gilmore, the defensive player of the year. of the 2019 NFL.
JC Jackson, who was second in the NFL in interceptions last season, is expected to start in the corner in front of the signing of free agent Jalen Mills. The main corner of the Slots Patriots is sixth-year veteran Jonathan Jones, with the selection of Wade and Joejuan Williams of the 2019 second round likely to complete the depth chart.