FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore has taken his feelings about his contract status public. How that affects his future with the team, one of the hot-button questions entering the 2021 training camp, remains an open-ended question.
Public pressure usually doesn't impel coach Bill Belichick to return to the negotiating table. In fact, he might be more inclined to hold firm to make a point that his preferred way to handle business is behind closed doors.
Gilmore, who didn't attend June's mandatory minicamp, referenced on Tuesday a since-deleted CBS Sports HQ tweet of the top-10 paid defensive backs in the NFL (based on average annual salary).