Were the San Francisco 49ers interested in former New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore? Maybe. Maybe not. Head coach Kyle Shanahan didn't make that clear while speaking with reporters before today's practice. Not that anyone thought he would.
What the coach did say is that the 49ers at least look into the possibility of acquiring Gilmore.
"We looked into all of it," Shanahan told reporters. "We obviously didn't go through with it."
While initial reports stated that the Patriots were planning to release Gilmore due to a contract dispute, New England ended up trading the Pro Bowl and All-Pro cornerback to the Carolina Panthers in exchange for a 2023 sixth-round draft pick. It was a modest price for one of the league's top defenders.
With Gilmore seeking a bigger contract, the Niners may have felt that adding the cornerback would be too costly. There is also the fact that Gilmore underwent quad surgery in December, and the team may be hesitant to commit a lot of money to another player coming off an injury.