An MRI on Monday confirmed what Stephon Gilmore and the Dallas Cowboys were expecting. The cornerback's shoulder has no significant damage, per Jeremy Fowler, putting him in line to play in Dallas' wild-card matchup next Sunday.
Gilmore suffered the injury late in the first half of the Cowboys' Week 18 win over the Washington Commanders on Sunday. He did not return in the second half and had his arm in a sling on the sideline.
Mike McCarthy said Gilmore told him he'd be fine to play next week and the All-Pro corner reiterated as such when he spoke to the media after the game. It appears that Gilmore separated his shoulder and popped it back into place but he and the team took precautions and gave him some extra rest upon the initial diagnosis.
The former Defensive Player of the Year had a solid first season with the Cowboys, starting all 17 regular season games. He finished the year with a career-high 68 total tackles after he had six in the regular-season finale. He also hauled in two interceptions and allowed an 82.4 passer rating against him.
Gilmore became an important part of the Cowboys' secondary after fellow All-Pro corner Trevon Diggs was lost for the season to a torn ACL. Thanks in part to Gilmore's play, along with the emergence of DaRon Bland, Dallas finished with the fifth-best passing defense in the NFL, allowing 187.4 passing yards per game.
The Cowboys caught a big break with Stephon Gilmore escaping significant injury and now need him to step up in the playoffs as Dallas sees itself as a legitimate threat to win the Super Bowl.
Gilmore's practice status may be worth monitoring a bit this week but it's likely a matter of pain tolerance and comfort for the star corner.
Follow Us
Subscribe