Patriots TE Rob Gronkowski is pumped up about how Air Force troops surprised the Patriots by parachuting into practice and he leaves a message for the people of Mexico. (1:03)

COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. -- In a week on the road that's fostering more team bonding for the New England Patriots, it seemed fitting that the first player to emerge for player interviews on Wednesday was cornerback Stephon Gilmore.

His fit with his teammates, through some early-season struggles after signing a rich free-agent contract, has piqued the interest of many.

So how's it going?

Gilmore, for one, couldn't be happier.

Part of what makes Stephon Gilmore a hard worker is that he enjoys coming to work -- he's never before been on a 7-2 team. Mike Reiss/ESPN

"I love it, man. I love playing with the guys," he said. "They get the best out of me. The coaches coach [well]. We just have to keep winning."

That's part of what has the soft-spoken Gilmore so excited, as he's never been 7-2 in his career. He missed three of those wins with a concussion but was officially removed from the injury report Wednesday after playing wire to wire in Sunday's win over the Broncos.

Asked how Gilmore has come back from his missed time, head coach Bill Belichick said, "He was able to practice in a red [non-contact] jersey for a couple weeks and then got the game action, [and] I think all that added up. It's all a part of it. Hopefully, this week will be better than last week."

The same could be said of Gilmore's time with his teammates, as each week is a chance to grow closer. Most of the team's other defensive backs have been together for multiple years.

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"I like it," he said of the team's week in Colorado Springs. "Being with the guys every day, we're staying in the same hotel, getting to know each other more. It's good."

According to fifth-year safety Duron Harmon, Gilmore is well liked among his peers.

"The good thing is that Steph makes it easy for all of us to be close," he said. "He's a good guy. He's quiet, but he has a great heart, always around, always talking, whether it's not even about football. Asking about how my family is doing. So I think he's fitting in well. I think we're all close. I think we're also still learning each other, and this week will help us."

Harmon was asked what he learned about Gilmore through watching him handle some of his early-season struggles.

"He's a fighter and he's not going to go into the tank and let anybody dictate how he feels and approaches the game," he responded. "He's going to continue to work and keep grinding, and all you can do is respect that. A lot of people would go into the tank, but you can see he's mentally tough enough to go out there, fix what he needs to fix and start playing productively. ...

"Steph is a tremendous player and a great person as well. He's been out, but he's constantly been in there learning, still trying to work, still asking questions. And I think that allowed him to play [well] last week. He's going to continue to get better. He's still feeling himself out. What is this, his sixth game playing with us? I'm excited to see what Steph continues to grow to."