FOXBOROUGH, Mass. -- New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who had skipped June's mandatory minicamp, reported to the team on Thursday, a source told ESPN's Field Yates. Gilmore was subsequently placed on the active/physically unable to perform list due to a partially torn quad sustained in December.
While the majority of Patriots players report for training camp on Tuesday, quarterbacks and players recovering from injuries were scheduled to arrive Thursday.
There was a question whether Gilmore, the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year, would report. He had stayed away from voluntary practices in the spring, as well as mandatory minicamp, while publicly expressing a desire for the team to upgrade his contract.
Gilmore is scheduled to earn a base salary of $7 million in 2021. The Patriots had advanced him $4.5 million of his 2021 salary last year, contributing to the under-market wage for this season.
Gilmore, who turns 31 in September, is in the final year of the five-year, $65 million contract he signed with the Patriots as an unrestricted free agent in 2017. The deal included $40 million in injury guarantees and $31 million fully guaranteed at signing.
At the time, a contract with those guarantees and an average of $13 million per season was viewed as a strong deal. The cornerback market has since exploded, with Jalen Ramsey of the Los Angeles Rams topping it with a contract averaging $20 million per season.
"I just want what I'm worth, however that plays out. Every player should be paid what they're worth. That's just how it is," Gilmore told longtime NFL reporter Josina Anderson earlier in July.
Of his quad injury, Gilmore told Anderson: "I feel stronger than I've ever felt since the surgery. I've been running a lot, building full speed."
Gilmore was one of eight players placed on the PUP list on Thursday, with quarterback Jarrett Stidham another notable player on the list.
Outside linebacker Chase Winovich, defensive tackle Byron Cowart, linebacker Terez Hall, tight end Dalton Keene, core special-teamer Brandon King and wide receiver Devin Smith were the other players placed on the PUP list.
Running back Rhamondre Stevenson (fourth round, Oklahoma), linebacker Cameron McGrone (fifth round, Michigan) and safety Joshuah Bledsoe (sixth round, Missouri) were rookies previously placed on the active/non-football injury list.