The Cowboys cannot seem to escape the bad injury luck this season. The newest example is cornerback Trevon Diggs, who is set to undergo season-ending knee surgery, per Jay Glazer of FOX Sports. While several reports have been made detailing the Cowboys’ decision to downgrade Diggs to “out” for this week, Glazer seems to be the only one currently reporting on the potential surgery.
The former second-round pick out of Alabama is in his fifth year of NFL play and the first year of his five-year, $97M extension. The highly touted defensive back earned first-team All-Pro honors in his sophomore campaign and Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022. His most prolific season in 2021 saw him lead the league in interceptions (11), interception return yards (142) and interceptions returned for touchdowns (2).
Diggs has not been able to replicate that insane production in years since, and the analytics at Pro Football Focus have never favored him as one of the league’s best, unlike his teammate DaRon Bland, who had a prolific season of his own just last year. Another limiting factor lately has been Diggs’s difficulty remaining on the field. Diggs missed nearly all of last year with a torn ACL. This season, he has battled a torn calf while missing two recent games with designations of groin and knee injuries.
With the surgery, Diggs will likely join the 12 other players on injured reserve, including key contributors like defensive ends DeMarcus Lawrence and Sam Williams, guard Zack Martin and quarterback Dak Prescott. That’s not to mention players like Bland, wide receiver Brandin Cooks and defensive end Marshawn Kneeland, who recently found their way off IR.
The Cowboys don’t have much to fight for in the 2024 NFL season. While they haven’t yet been eliminated from the playoffs, they likely need to win out and expect some help from others to get to the postseason. With the likelihood of a playoff appearance seeming extremely low, it makes sense not to force players back who may need surgery and time to recover. The team has yet to disclose the specifics or severity of Diggs’ knee injury, but it appears to be significant per Ed Werder of WFAA.
The injury is disappointing for Dallas, who just recently saw Bland return. In the last two years, the Cowboys have only seen Bland and Diggs on the field together for three games and only one in which they both started. Like last year, Bland will pick up the immediate slack of Diggs’ absence while the team will continue piecing together the solution at the other cornerback position.
Jourdan Lewis has started nine games but primarily in a nickelback role. Rookie fifth-round pick Caelen Carson had started five games but currently resides on IR. Reserves like Josh Butler, Amani Oruwariye and Andrew Booth will likely be relied upon as injuries continue to decimate America’s Team.