There's high praise, and then there's what Kurt Warner recently said about New England Patriots cornerback Stephon Gilmore.
The Pro Football Hall of Fame quarterback was asked on NFL Network's "Film Session" to compare Gilmore to another player, and he picked one of the greatest DBs and all-around athletes of all time.
"He reminds me of Deion Sanders the way he studies his craft and is a student of the game," Warner said, per ESPN's Mike Reiss. "That's what Deion was so good at -- the technique, the little things, and the ability to understand the game. Obviously, Deion was ridiculously talented. But he understood the game in such a way, especially playing man coverages, strengths and weaknesses, reading body language and doing all that stuff. That reminds me a lot of Stephon, the way he plays the game.
"Maybe not the top-end athleticism that Deion had. Maybe not the speed that Deion had. But the same kind of craft he plays with, so he would probably be the guy. Deion was a guy who would get up in your face a lot."
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Wow. How's that for a compliment?
Gilmore has earned the praise over the last couple of seasons as he has emerged as one of the best defensive players in all of football. The 2019 Defensive Player of the Year tied for the NFL lead with six interceptions on the season (two returned for touchdowns) and tallied 20 passes defended. He's also been a first-team All-Pro in both of the last two seasons.
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But a comparison to Prime Time? That might just be the best honor of all.
Warner and Brian Baldinger will break down film with Gilmore in the next episode of "Film Session." You can watch the episode Tuesday on NFL.com's "Game Pass" or Saturday at 8 p.m on NFL Network.