Stephon Gilmore tried to plant his foot while it was covered on Sunday and saw his season end in an instant.
Gilmore suffered a partially broken quadriceps in the game, NFL Network Insider Ian Rapoport reported, on informed sources about the situation. Gilmore will undergo surgery to repair it on Tuesday and should be able to participate in part of the off-season program in New England, Rapoport added.
Gilmore suffered no structural knee injuries, according to Rapoport, which he initially feared when Gilmore went down in a pile, squeezing his knee in the latter part of the second trimester.
Gilmore won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 2019 after tying for the league lead in six interceptions and leading the NFL in 20-point passes. His teammate JC Jackson ranks second in eight interceptions in time what Gilmore will finish 2020 with just one.