The Panthers acquired four-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore from the Patriots, the team announced on Wednesday.
In exchange for Gilmore, the Patriots will receive a 2023 sixth-round pick.
The Patriots parted ways with Gilmore on Wednesday, after the cornerback spent four years with the franchise. With New England, he made two All-Pro appearances and won the 2019 Defensive Player of the Year award, emerging as one of the league's best defensive backs.
Gilmore would have become a free agent had he not been traded by 4 p.m. ET on Wednesday, according to Pro Football Talk.