The Dallas Cowboys were dealt quite the pre-NFL draft surprise to begin the week.
On Tuesday, The Athletic's Jon Machota reported that former Cowboys cornerback Stephon Gilmore was in attendance at the team's facilities. The nature of Gilmore's visit was unknown, however, executive vice president and CEO Stephen Jones seemingly hinted at a potential reunion by saying Dallas is "always looking to make our roster better."
As it turns out, it didn't take long to find out if Gilmore's visit was just that — a friendly visit — or something more.
Cowboys' Visit With Free Agent CB Stephon Gilmore Wasn't Official
Shortly after the surprise visit, Machota reported on Tuesday afternoon that Gilmore's meeting with the Cowboys "was not an official free agent visit" in any capacity. Whether it leads to an eventual deal remains to be seen, but it doesn't look like Dallas has plans to sign the available CB anytime soon.
Yes, Stephon Gilmore was at The Star on Tuesday. But was told it was not an official free agent visit.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) April 22, 2025
Gilmore's visit comes as the Cowboys are preparing to potentially add some CB talent through the 2025 NFL draft. Trevon Diggs, Caelan Carson, and Josh Butler are all banged up following injury-plagued seasons, while only time will tell if DaRon Bland can return to his All-Pro form. That's without mentioning the hole created by Jourdan Lewis' offseason departure.
In other words, Cowboys fans can't be blamed for wanting Gilmore's visit to lead to a potential return to the Lone Star State.
Gilmore, 34, spent the 2023 season with the Cowboys after being acquired from the Indianapolis Colts before that year's draft. The former five-time Pro Bowl CB suited up in all 17 regular-season games with Dallas, racking up 54 solo tackles, 13 broken-up passes, and a pair of interceptions as he finished with 69.3 coverage and 71.2 defense grades on Pro Football Focus.
After hitting free agency last offseason, Gilmore found himself signing a one-year, $7 million contract with the Minnesota Vikings. He went on to record 40 solo tackles, nine defended passes, and an INT in 15 games with the Vikings, finishing with PFF grades of 62.2 and 59.2 for defense and coverage, respectively.
Even if his performance is on the decline, Gilmore is still solid enough to end up on an NFL roster. It also helps that he's a former Super Bowl Champion and AP Defensive Player of the Year, boasting the type of experience that head coaches love injecting into their roster.
With most teams' rosters becoming close to being finalized after the draft, Gilmore's path to another NFL contract might become clearer sooner rather than later.