New England Patriots Vs. Miami Dolphins at Hard Rock Stadium
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For the first time in what feels like forever, the New England Patriots are finishing out the stretch with games that mean next to nothing now that they're eliminated from postseason contention. As they put 2020 to bed over the next two weeks, they will be doing it without star corner Stephon Gilmore. He exited Sunday's loss to the Miami Dolphins with what the team called a knee injury, but now we're learning the reigning Defensive Player of the Year actually suffered a partially torn quad, according to Ian Rapoport of the NFL Network. Gilmore will undergo surgery to repair that quad on Tuesday, which means that his regular season has ended early.

The good news is that this injury is far less severe than what it originally looked like. The corner suffered the injury during a third-and-6 play with about 3:28 to play in the second quarter. He appeared to get crossed up and feel down awkwardly on a non-contact play away from the action. He instantly grabbed his leg and needed assistance getting off the field and ultimately into the locker room. Rapoport adds that there is no structural damage to Gilmore's knee and his quad should heal well before next season. He should even be able to participate in some of the offseason program. 

This puts an end to Gilmore's fourth season with the Patriots, a tenure that has been wildly productive. Last season, he was the league's top defensive player, totaling a league-leading 20 passes defended and six interceptions. This year, Gilmore's numbers haven't been as eye-popping, but he's kept up his elite play regardless. 

While he seems to have dodged a major bullet with this injury as there appears to be no doubt that he'll be ready to step onto the field in Week 1 next year, the uniform he'll be sporting while doing so is in question. Gilmore has one more year remaining on his contract with the Patriots that will pay him nowhere near close to where the rest of his peers currently sit in terms of salary. In 2021, he'll make just $7 million in base salary. Given that, the 30-year-old will likely be due for a new contract. New England will have plenty of cap space to provide him with just that, but it'll be interesting to see if Bill Belichick ultimately decides to do so given his age, the club's needs all over the roster, and the emergence of J.C. Jackson behind him. 

If Belichick ultimately feels that whatever money he'd be spending on Gilmore would be better served elsewhere, it wouldn't be too surprising to see the star corner -- once he returns to full strength -- playing for another franchise in 2021.