Stephon Gilmore Very Much Takes Shot at the Bills When Talking About How His Play Elevated With Patriots

Stephon Gilmore is the reigning NFL Defensive Player of the Year after a sensational campaign with the New England Patriots in 2019. While he was a Pro Bowler with the Buffalo Bills in 2016, he's become a bonafide star under defensive mastermind Bill Belichick, and now has two First Team All-Pro selections to his name.

The reason? Well, according to Gilmore, it's because of the sheer consistency in place in New England, which we can view as an indirect shot at the Bills and their operation when he was there from 2012-2016.

It wasn't as harsh as it sounds, though. Gilmore was just stating facts when comparing the two organizations and the time he spent with both of them.

“Me in Buffalo, the first five years, I had four different defensive coordinators, three different head coaches, so I was kind of trying to learn each and every year," Gilmore told fellow Patriots Devin and Jason McCourty on the Double Coverage Podcast. "Once I got to New England, I got some consistency and the same guys around, same coaches. I feel like that is why my game took off more.”

Sure, the continuity helps, but playing under the greatest defensive mind in NFL history is probably more of the reason here.

Interpret it how you want, Bills fans. However, one could argue it's safe to say Gilmore would be thriving in Buffalo under the current conditions. It just so happens Gilmore -- perhaps rightfully so -- didn't want to wait for the Bills to figure it out as he was entering the prime of his career.