Patrick Mahomes reportedly entered into the ‘gray area’ of the NFL rules back in 2021 as he attempted to recruit star cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the New England Patriots.
During the 2021 season, Mahomes reportedly reached out to Gilmore when it became clear the Patriots were ready to trade the corner away. Gilmore had joined New England in 2017 and starred for the franchise, winning Defensive Player of the Year in 2019 while he was a two-time First-Team All-Pro and a Super Bowl champion.
According to ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler, player-to-player recruitment is generally accepted around the NFL, while teams are prohibited to approach a player on another franchise. However, he highlighted what he labelled a ‘gray area’ - and it is linked to trades.