Stephon Gilmore: It’s a place I’ve always wanted to play

Cornerback Stephon Gilmore couldn’t pick his new team because the Patriots traded him rather than release him, but the destination may have been the same anyway.

Gilmore is originally from Rock Hill, South Carolina and grew up as a Panthers fan. So it was no surprise that he said on Thursday that he would have considered signing with the Panthers had he become a free agent earlier this week. Gilmore said he “always dreamed” of someday playing for his childhood favorites.

“It’s a place I’ve always wanted to play,” Gilmore said, via the team’s website. “Looking at the team and what they have, the potential. Obviously, you have to put in a lot of hard work to get to where you want to go. Of course I think it was a great opportunity that I would come here.

Gilmore will not be able to make his first appearance for the team until he is eligible to drop off the PUP roster in Week Seven. He said he would “take just one day at a time” until he can be activated and don the jersey he has had his eyes on for many years.