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After the Dallas Cowboys collapsed yet again in the playoffs this season, there is a sense of uneasiness about their immediate future.
Head coach Mike McCarthy has been rumored to be on the hot seat, and some are now wondering if quarterback Dak Prescott will stick around past next season.
There is also some uncertainty about star cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who was a sizable key to Dallas’ strong defense this season.
He will be a free agent at the conclusion of the league year, and per Jon Machota, he said he would like to remain with the Cowboys.
“I want to come back,” Gilmore said. “We can’t talk until March. But that’s the goal, because I think we do have the pieces to get to where we want to go, and I want to be part of that.”
Cowboys CB Stephon Gilmore on @dfwticket on wanting to return to Dallas in free agency: “I want to come back. We can’t talk until March. But that’s the goal, because I think we do have the pieces to get to where we want to go, and I want to be part of that.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) February 9, 2024
Gilmore was acquired in a trade last offseason with the Indianapolis Colts, and it was thought that he and fellow corner Trevon Diggs would make Dallas impenetrable downfield.
Even after Diggs went down with a season-ending ACL injury in late September, Gilmore and DaRon Bland, who filled in for Diggs, helped the team finish fifth in points and total yards allowed in the regular season.
Gilmore, 33, has made the Pro Bowl five times and was the Defensive Player of the Year for the 2019 season, and his experience winning a Super Bowl championship with the New England Patriots will be valuable to whichever team he suits up with this fall.
Despite the Cowboys looking dominant defensively at times in the regular season thanks to Gilmore, Bland, and Defensive Player of the Year candidate Micah Parsons, that defense fell apart in the Wild Card round versus the Green Bay Packers.
The Cowboys fell behind by a score of 27-0 late in the first half and gave up 48 points with over 10 minutes left in the fourth quarter, causing them to lose, 48-32, to the upstart Packers.
If Gilmore leaves, he could create a pretty big void in their secondary.
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