The Patriots had originally released the 2019 defensive player of the year this morning, Stephon Gilmore, but they seemed to have changed their mind.

There were several reports that the Pats had tried to trade Gilmore prior, but couldn’t get a deal done. New England has gotten the deal done, as they traded the cornerback to the Carolina Panthers for a 2023 sixth-round pick — they made it official on their Twitter.

#Panthers acquire cornerback Stephon Gilmorehttps://t.co/D1Q7IMNXoB

— Carolina Panthers (@Panthers) October 6, 2021

(Photo by Maddie Meyer/Getty Images)