The Green Bay Packers can definitely pivot after missing out on this one player.
The Green Bay Packers were hoping to sign cornerback Asante Samuel Jr., but Samuel ultimately decided to sign with the Pittsburgh Steelers on Tuesday.
So, what next for the Packers, who could definitely use some more depth in their secondary?
Well, there is another very intriguing cornerback remaining on the free-agent market: former Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore is still strangely available after putting together a solid season with the Minnesota Vikings last year, when he registered 56 tackles, an interception and nine passes defended in 15 games.
If Green Bay is still aiming to find an answer at the cornerback position (or at least provide some insurance, especially with Nate Hobbs nursing a knee injury), then Gilmore should absolutely be the next player it contacts.
Is Gilmore still the same dominant force he was during his New England Patriots days? No. He certainly isn't making any more Pro Bowls, but he is a stable veteran presence who has actually been very durable the past few seasons.
Stephon Gilmore. Credit: Mark J. Rebilas-Imagn Images.I will say that at this point, it seems rather obvious that defense is not the issue for the Packers. Heading into the season, cornerback appeared to be a weak point, but Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine and Hobbs (when healthy) have played admirably.
The offense is certainly the most glaring problem, but unfortunately, there aren't really any players available who can fix that.
But clearly, Green Bay still wants to make a move in its defensive backfield, which is why the Packers expressed interest in Samuel to begin with.
Adding Gilmore for the rest of 2025 would definitely help in Green Bay's playoff run, and he certainly would not be too expensive.
The only red flag is the fact that he hasn't signed with anyone yet. Samuel was waiting to be medically cleared, but what is the issue with Gilmore? Do teams feel he is finished? Or is he simply not all that eager to play right now?
Whatever the case may be, the Packers should at least take a look.
Green Bay fell to 5-3-1 on the year with its Monday night loss to the Philadelphia Eagles and will face the New York Giants — who just fired their head coach — this Sunday.