Is Stephon Gilmore hinting at a return to the Panthers?
Jadeveon Clowney may not be the only Rock Hill, S.C. native who’s coming back home in 2024.
On Wednesday, the Carolina Panthers announced that they have agreed to terms on a deal with the 2014 No. 1 overall pick and three-time Pro Bowl pass rusher. The pact, as first reported by ESPN’s Adam Schefter, will run for two years and could be worth up to $24 million.
Shortly after the news broke, Clowney picked up the phone for CBS Sports senior NFL insider Josina Anderson—who posted the following about the move:
I just got off the phone with Jadeveon Clowney and his wife seconds after they hung up with the #Panthers on his decision to join Carolina. Clowney's mother had not even yet heard the news at the time:
"We're going to be just 30 minutes from home. It's where we do all our… pic.twitter.com/bTr1A40fi9
— JosinaAnderson (@JosinaAnderson) March 27, 2024
As Clowney stated to Anderson, his decision to join the Panthers is a “full-circle” moment—one that went through the University of South Carolina from 2011 to 2013.
Wait . . . does anyone happen to know who else went to the University of South Carolina around that same time? And if you do, is that certain someone also a free agent who has been connected to the Panthers lately?
Oh, did someone say Stephon Gilmore?
Well, let’s take a look at his likes over on his Twitter/X account then . . .
@BumpNrunGilm0re
Hmmm . . .
In addition to sharing a year together as Gamecocks, Clowney and Gilmore were also high school teammates at South Pointe in Rock Hill. And like Clowney, Gilmore has reportedly received some interest from the Panthers this offseason.
So, is this a hint towards a potential return to Carolina for the 33-year-old cornerback? Or this is just an instance of one friend being extremely happy for another?
Time will tell . . .
