Former [New England Patriots](https://nesn.com/new-england-patriots) superstar Stephon Gilmore announced his retirement on Thursday, and he could have a case to be a Hall of Famer.
Gimore played 13 seasons in the NFL, spending nine seasons between the Buffalo Bills and the Patriots. He put together an impressive resume, earning five Pro Bowl selections, two First-Team All-Pro selections and one Defensive Player of the Year Award. He was key in the Patriots winning Super Bowl LII over the Rams as well.
Gilmore was one of the best man coverage corners of this generation, and has a very strong case to be a Hall of Famer in five years. He had 32 career interceptions, played in 180 games, forced eight fumbles, recorded 617 tackles and had 149 passes defended in the regular season. He has 12 career passes defended in the playoffs and two playoff interceptions.
There are 18 cornerbacks in the Pro Football Hall of Fame. The standard to be a Hall of Fame corner is high, and Gilmore may have done just enough in his career to make himself a Hall of Famer. He won a Defensive Player of the Year award, was the best player at his position for a multi-year stretch, had a long career, and was an important part of a championship team.
The last defensive back inducted into the Hall of Fame was Eric Allen, who was inducted in 2025. Judging by Allen's career, Gilmore should be a Hall of Famer. Allen played 14 years, and has six Pro Bowl nods and one singular All-Pro selection. He never won a Super Bowl or won Defensive Player of the Year.
Allen had more interceptions and tackles than Gilmore, but he played 37 more games. Whether or not Gilmore is a Hall of Famer will not take away some iconic moments he had in a Patriots uniform. His game-sealing pass deflection in the AFC Championship Game against the Jacksonville Jaguars sent the Patriots to Super Bowl LII.
That came in his first season with the Patriots. The following season, he put up an unforgettable performance in Super Bowl LII against the Los Angeles Rams. The Rams had one of the best offenses in the league. Their passing attack featured Cooper Kupp, Robert Woods and Brandin Cooks, but Gimore did his part to make sure none of them had a big game.
Gilmore had three passes defended in that game and also had a clutch interception with less than five minutes remaining in the contest. The Rams were near the red zone, trailing by just seven, when Gilmore made his iconic interception. He also forced a fumble in the game.
Gilmore should be in the Hall of Fame when it's his time to get on the ballot. He was one of the best players in the NFL during his prime and was a reliable player throughout his entire career. His career stacks up against some of the corners already in the Hall of Fame as well.
**_More NFL: [Former Patriots All-Pro Super Bowl Champion Announces Retirement](https://nesn.com/new-england-patriots/news/former-patriots-all-pro-super-bowl-champion-announces-retirement/369a0da2fdb4e8e34e5a9f05)_**