Alshon Jeffrey Reveals How Patriots' 2017 Stephon Gilmore Signing Led to Decision to Join Eagles

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Thanks to three touchdown passes from Nick Foles and the "Philly Special," Super Bowl LII in February 2018 is remembered as one of Tom Brady's three Super Bowl losses compared to seven wins.

One of Foles' touchdown passes went to the Eagles' leading receiver in that 2017 season, Alshon Jeffrey, who was one of the NFL's top red-zone threats at wide receiver by that point. Based on the wide receiver's most recent comments, however, he could have single-handedly impacted Patriots history with his 2017 free-agent decision alone.

Jeffrey said recently that he nearly signed with New England prior to the 2017 season, but ultimately wound up in Philadelphia due to the Patriots' financial commitment to cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

Here's what Jeffrey shared about his 2017 free-agent decision and how it impacted the eventual Super Bowl matchup.

Alshon Jeffrey shares how Stephon Gilmore deal led him to Eagles in free agency​

Jeffrey, now retired, sat down with former Patriots star receiver Julian Edelman on the "Games with Names" podcast recently and shared details about his process during 2017 free agency.

Then coming off a five-year run with the Bears to open his career, Jeffrey hit free agency as one of the better wide receivers available. He wound up inking a one-year, $9.5 million contract to join the Eagles — but according to Jeffrey, he was nearly a Patriot.

Jeffrey told Edelman that New England originally had interest in signing him to a one-year deal worth "almost" $20 million. But once the Patriots pivoted to cornerback Stephon Gilmore, agreeing to a five-year, $65 million with the defensive star, things changed.

"I don't know what happened with the conversation," Jeffrey said. "They called back ... and they offered me something super low. I don't want to say the number, but it was super low."

"And I'm like, 'Nah, I don't think that's going to happen.'

Ultimately, Jeffrey declined the Patriots' lower offer to join the Eagles. Under a year later, he caught a touchdown pass for Philadelphia, helping the franchise win its first Super Bowl by beating New England.

On the podcast, Jeffery also told Edelman that Patriots owner Robert Kraft approached him after Super Bowl LII and said he knew the team should have signed him and told Bill Belichick as much.

"He was like, 'Alshon, I told Bill [Belichick] we should have signed you,'" Jeffrey said of Kraft.

Alshon Jeffrey was almost a Patriot

Make sure to check out the new episode out NOW on Youtube! pic.twitter.com/YOuaYFWIjo

— Games with Names (@gameswithnames) August 11, 2026

In some ways, Jeffrey's decision to join Philadelphia over New England altered the course of NFL history — though the Patriots returned to the Super Bowl throne the following year.

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