Getty Dallas Cowboys corner Stephon Gilmore
The Dallas Cowboys are hosting a playoff game after their momentous Week 18 win over the Washington Commanders, but health could be a concern. Every NFL team in the playoff race is dealing with similar issues, but the Cowboys need corner Stephon Gilmore to suit up.
Dallas has navigated the absence of CB Trevon Diggs well with Gilmore leading the secondary. But against Washington, the veteran suffered a shoulder injury. According to Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy, Dallas and Gilmore have dodged a bullet.
“Stephon Gilmore escaped more serious injury without damage to his rotator cuff. The belief is he will be available Sunday and wear a harness for extra support for his right shoulder,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on X on January 8. “‘It was better than we anticipated,’ Mike McCarthy said.”
Gilmore has been a stalwart in his first season with the Cowboys. While he may not be at 100% for Sunday’s contest against the Green Bay Packers, Gilmore being available at all is huge.
The Cowboys have other players to monitor (more on that below,) but they can at least prepare knowing that Gilmore will hit the field.
Stephon Gilmore’s First Year in Dallas
When the Cowboys added the 32-year-old corner, it seemed like a perfect move for one reason: support. Gilmore could start, but the team wasn’t going to depend on him as they do with Diggs. Well, Diggs went down early in the season and Gilmore has shown fans that he is still a top corner in the league.
Gilmore started all 17 games, clocking 13 passes defended and nabbing two interceptions. According to Pro Football Reference, he also set a career high in combined tackles with 68.
Further, Gilmore allowed an 82.4 QB rating when targeted and a completion percentage of 54.4%. There are clear moments where Gilmore’s age has slowed him down, but his experience is clearly a massive tool.
Now, it will be interesting to see how Dallas approaches his future. The Cowboys traded for him this past offseason, but he will be a free agent in the spring. Gilmore has earned another year or two in Dallas, but whether the Cowboys go that route is uncertain.
Cowboys Injury Absences Against Commanders
In the division-clinching win against Washington, the Cowboys were missing several key names. Guards Tyler Smith and Zack Martin and defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins all missed out on the 38-10 win.
Hankins missed the last three games of the season due to ankle and knee injuries, but ideally, that time to rest will get him a chance to appear in the playoffs. Meanwhile, Martin was expected to go against Washington but an illness sidelined him.
For Smith, a foot injury kept him out against the Commanders and is expected to limit him in practice this week. It’s one thing to be missing a starting guard, but not having either of them was a concern heading into Week 18.
Martin will surely be back against the Packers, but Smith’s status is one to monitor. The second-year player has been a revelation on the offensive line since arriving in Dallas in the first round of the 2022 NFL draft.