Cornerback Stephon Gilmore, with ball, made his debut with the Carolina Panthers last week and got an interception, along with a celebration with his new teammates. The Panthers and Gilmore face the Patriots on Sunday. Danny Karnik/Associated Press

When Stephon Gilmore was asked last week about playing against the New England Patriots, he smiled and said he was looking forward to it.

It was a sinister-like grin, and he added that Sunday’s game would mean “a lot extra” for him. After the two sides couldn’t reach an agreement last month on a new contract, the Patriots traded Gilmore to the Carolina Panthers for a sixth-round pick.

Part of how it all went down rubbed Gilmore the wrong way.

But his tune changed this week. He spoke Wednesday as if playing the Patriots on Sunday will be just another game.

“I think I’m motivated any time I step on the field,” Gilmore said when asked what this game meant. “Obviously, I spent a lot of time there. I’m just going to study those guys and trust my technique and make plays for the team.”

The 4 1/2 years Gilmore spent with the Patriots before the trade were some of his most successful seasons. He won the 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, was voted an first team All-Pro twice, and won a Super Bowl in 2018.

So his former teammates don’t believe this is just another game for Gilmore. They know he’ll be motivated when the Panthers host the Patriots on Sunday.

“He’s super competitive,” said Patriots safety Devin McCourty, who played with Gilmore from 2017-2021. “He competes in walk-throughs, so I know he’ll be ready on Sunday.”

The Panthers are realizing that, too.

In just one game, Gilmore and Shaq Thompson have made this defense better. The players in their returns last week were responsible the Panthers’ two turnovers in the 19-13 win over Atlanta. This must continue.

Having Gilmore in the lineup gives the Panthers a better chance at having success.

In football, he’s the equivalent of a scholar in academia. He’s not lightning fast. He’s not the highest jumper. But he’s smart and appears to be two steps ahead of everyone.

“It’s funny — you look at how fast guys run in the course of a game. Guys that are real fast run around 20 miles per hour, and I don’t think he reached 15,” Carolina defensive coordinator Phil Snow said of Gilmore. “And it’s because he does such a real good job with his feet and his hands playing bump ’n’ run, playing man-to-man. He makes the game really simple and it’s not taxing to him because he’s so good at what he does physically.”

Gilmore is still working his way back from a quad injury that kept him out since Week 16 of the 2020 season. He came out of last week’s game healthy, Rhule said. While no one has said whether Gilmore’s role will change, it likely will increase as he continues to get into game shape.

“I’m just taking it a day at a time, and whatever role I’m in, I’m going to do it to the best of my ability,” Gilmore said. “They’ve got a lot of good players on the team and it’s going to be a good matchup for us.”