Stephon Gilmore and Brandin Cooks were teammates together for a year — then they weren’t.
Gilmore signed a contract with the New England Patriots in 2017 to solidify their secondary, getting to play professional football with his good friend (Cooks) as a bonus. Then the Patriots traded Cooks to the Los Angeles Rams after that 2017 season, making the reunion short-lived.
“It’s always hard for me to be cool with an offensive player,” Gilmore said on The NFL Today in a featured segment with Cooks (ahead of the Dallas Cowboys showdown with the New York Jets). “You’re the only offensive player I’m super close with.”
The duo finally got the reunion they wanted in Dallas, joining Dallas just five days apart. The Cowboys acquired Gilmore on March 14 and Cooks on March 19, adding a premier cornerback and wide receiver to an already talented roster. It helps that they’re close friends too.
“We kind of planned it,” Gilmore said. ‘Hey, let’s go to the Cowboys. We kind of fit into this organization.”
Gilmore and Cooks mentioned all the great players that play for the Cowboys. Micah Parsons was first up.
“He wants to be great. That’s the one thing I like about him,” Cooks said. “He’s special man. He’s gonna be here long after we gone.”
Cooks also discussed his receiving mate in CeeDee Lamb. Even though he reportedly won’t play with Lamb against the Jets, it didn’t take long for Cooks to see the talent Lamb possesses.
“My job isn’t only to come make plays, but it’s also to pass that game along to the next generation,” Cooks said. “CeeDee. Man, he’s special. He got it. He a Hall of Famer already, but he gotta put the work in.”
Gilmore opened up on Trevon Diggs, who he lines up next to at cornerback.
“I think Tre, he’s so talented (with the stuff he does with the ball,” Gilmore said. “I always try to pass knowledge to him. That’s why you stay in the game.”
Cooks and Gilmore are tasked as two veterans that were brought in to put the Cowboys over the hump and get to the Super Bowl for the first time in 28 years. They know the expectations that come with playing for the franchise.
“To put on that star is special,” Cooks said. “The goal is to win. It’s ‘America’s Team’ for a reason.”
