The Carolina Panthers may be looking to bring back an old dawg.
According to Joe Person of The Athletic, the team has reached out to free-agent cornerback Stephon Gilmore about a possible return. The Rock Hill, S.C. native played in eight games for the organization in 2021.
A University of South Carolina standout, Gilmore was selected with the 10th overall pick of the 2012 NFL draft by the Buffalo Bills. After five years there, he joined his AFC East rivals in New England for four seasons—where he collected the 2019 AP Defensive Player of the Year honors, two first-team All-Pro nods, three Pro Bowl nods and a Super Bowl LIII ring.
The Patriots then traded Gilmore to the Panthers on Oct. 6 of 2021 in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick. Despite playing just half of a season for Carolina, he earned his fifth career Pro Bowl selection that year.
Gilmore, now 33, has since gone on to play for the Indianapolis Colts and the Dallas Cowboys over the past two seasons.
