Stephon Gilmore is firm on his desire to play despite his injury…

An already weakened secondary took another blow late in the first half of the Dallas Cowboys’ division-clinching laugher in Washington when Stephon Gilmore headed to the locker room with a dislocated shoulder. An MRI later revealed that Gilmore avoided structural damage, which was welcome news to a Dallas defense that already lost top corner Trevon Diggs to a knee injury earlier this season.

Gilmore told the press immediately after Dallas’ Week 18 win that he would be on the field against Green Bay for the first game of the playoffs. The MRI results support that claim, but the veteran corner has a long way to go after spending the entire second half of Week 18 with his shoulder in a sling.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said at his Wednesday presser that Gilmore wouldn’t see much practice activity before Saturday as the team tries to get him ready to take the field Sunday night. That means spending plenty of time with the rehab group in practice between now and then.

Assuming he does return to the field, Gilmore will wear a shoulder harness against the Packers, a development he confirmed to the Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken Wednesday afternoon.

“Yeah, for sure,” Gilmore said when asked if he’d don the protective harness if he plays Sunday night. “I’m looking forward to the opportunity this week. Whatever it takes.”

Gehlken added that Stephon Gilmore could take a trial run with the harness on at Thursday’s practice, but the Cowboys won’t rush their best remaining corner back to the gridiron.