Report: Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore to begin 2021 season on PUP list

The New England Patriots will enter the regular season without Stephon Gilmore for a minimum of six weeks.

The veteran cornerback has been placed on the physically unable to perform list, his agent, Jason Chayut of Sportstars, confirmed Tuesday to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Gilmore began training camp on New England’s active PUP after not attending organized team activities and mandatory minicamp in the spring, but did not begin practicing. The 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year underwent surgery in December to repair partially torn quad that saw him end last season on injured reserve after 11 starts.

In the final year of his five-year, $65 million contract, Gilmore is currently scheduled for a base salary of $7 million as a result of a previous $4.5 million advance. He will turn 31 in September.

A four-time Pro Bowler and two-time first-team All-Pro, the South Carolina product has intercepted 13 passes in a Patriots uniform since arriving from the Buffalo Bills in 2017.

Defensive tackle Byron Cowart will also begin the fall on physically unable to perform, according to Mark Daniels of the Providence Journal. Rookie linebacker Cameron McGrone is slated to do so on the non-football injury list, per Doug Kyed of Pro Football Focus.

Cowart, a 2019 fifth-round pick out of Auburn and Maryland, started each of his 14 games last season to record 27 tackles and one sack. McGrone, drafted No. 177 overall out of Michigan, tore his ACL as a redshirt sophomore last November.

The 53-man NFL roster deadline passes at 4 p.m. ET Tuesday.