During the Dallas Cowboys’ home finale against the Los Angeles Chargers, cornerback Trevon Diggs chose a surprising route at halftime. Instead of heading straight to the locker room, he slipped into the family’s field-level suite to see his daughter. The move, captured on the sideline, underscored a season-long battle with injuries and contract disputes.
The Halftime Choice
Diggs explained that his primary motive was to see his daughter, not to savor a potential final home game. He added, “It’s tough,” in a brief response that hinted at the uncertainty surrounding his future with the Cowboys. The 2021 All-Pro, who led the league with 11 interceptions that season, has spent much of the past two years dealing with a concussion and knee issues.
Concussion and Knee History
The injury that sidelined Diggs began with a concussion sustained in a home accident. He later revealed that a TV mounting pole attached to a ceiling struck him in the head while he was attempting a repair. “I was trying to be a handyman,” he said. “I shouldn’t have been.”
Diggs’ knee problems add another layer to his absence. His left knee has undergone two surgeries in the past two years, and the team cited the condition as a reason for keeping him on injured reserve. Owner Jerry Jones emphasized that the knees were not healthy enough for him to play.
Team and Owner Comments
First-year coach Brian Schottenheimer remained vague about the delay in activating Diggs. He mentioned a need to see more consistency in practice before returning the player to the field. Meanwhile, the Cowboys withheld an offseason workout bonus from Diggs’ contract because he chose to rehab from his second knee surgery with his own athletic training staff.
During the locker-room interview after the game, Diggs also addressed a brief disciplinary issue that led to a temporary benching early in the season. The details of that incident were not disclosed.
Game Performance
In the 34-17 loss to the Chargers, Diggs recorded six tackles but did not register a pass breakup, while the Cowboys’ secondary finished the game with only two. LA’s quarterback Justin Herbert completed 23 of 29 passes for 300 yards, two touchdowns, and no interceptions, finishing the season with a 79% completion rate.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones commented on Diggs’ performance: “Without looking at it, I wouldn’t know when he was in or out of coverage, but I thought he played with a lot of awareness. That’s a good quarterback out there. So, basically, from what I can see, and it’s real hard to tell sometimes when it looks like that you didn’t do a good job covering. But still, I was glad to see him back out there.”
Future Outlook
Diggs’ return could be linked to the season-ending move of cornerback DaRon Bland to injured reserve. Bland, who may need a second foot surgery, had a record-tying five interception returns for touchdowns in 2023 and led the league with nine picks. Bland signed a $92 million extension in August.
The Cowboys signed Diggs to a $97 million extension in 2023, two years after he led the league with 11 interceptions. With 29 missed games since the start of 2023, Diggs has only five interceptions in 37 games over four seasons.
After the game, Diggs said, “After the season, I guess we’ll figure it out.” His future with the team remains uncertain as the Cowboys consider cost-cutting moves that could see him released after the season.
Key Takeaways
- Diggs chose to see his daughter at halftime, hinting at personal priorities amid injury concerns.
- A home accident caused a concussion, and repeated knee surgeries have limited his playtime.
- The Cowboys’ coaching staff and owner cited consistency and health as reasons for his delayed return.
- The team’s secondary struggled in the Chargers game, and Diggs recorded six tackles without a pass breakup.
- Future plans for Diggs are unclear, with the Cowboys weighing a potential release after the season.
The Cowboys’ season ended with a 34-17 loss to the Chargers, and the team will now finish the year on the road. The fate of Trevon Diggs, a former league-leading cornerback, hangs in the balance as the organization evaluates roster changes and contract decisions.
