The Dallas Cowboys are making an unexpected push for the playoffs, and one of the areas they’ll need to shore up is in their secondary. The Cowboys' cornerbacks have been brutal this year, and the debut of Shavon Revel has created more questions than answers across from DaRon Bland.
While the Cowboys didn’t address the position at the trade deadline, they may have gotten an unexpected addition on Sunday when they opened the practice window for Trevon Diggs to return from injured reserve. Getting a former All-Pro back feels like a boost to a defense, but with Diggs’s recent history, it feels like Dallas is setting him up to fail when he makes his return from a concussion.
Cowboys ‘Shutdown Corner’ Bet on Trevon Diggs Will Bust Upon His Return
Diggs’ 2025 season is that of a player the Cowboys could live without. The 28-year-old allowed 11 catches for 216 yards and three touchdowns on 15 targets, according to Pro Football Focus, and with 19.6 yards per reception, he was a big-play magnet before his injury.
Additionally, there are some off-the-field concerns for Diggs. Jerry Jones called out his rehab process for a pair of knee injuries before the season began. When Diggs struggled, he pinned it on defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, publicly pleading for the Cowboys to play more man coverage.
This was all before Diggs suffered a concussion during an incident at his home. While he hasn’t appeared in a game since a Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers, the Cowboys feel confident about rushing him back. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer also confirmed that the team expects him to jump back into the cornerback position, telling The Athletic’s Jon Machota that he is not considering a move to safety to mask his coverage issues and adding he is “a shutdown corner when he is at his best.”
If Diggs’s struggles were just this season, it’d be easy to hear that argument if this were an outlier. Going back to last season, Diggs allowed 33 catches for 368 yards and three touchdowns with two interceptions and four pass breakups on 51 targets. Even in his All-Pro season in 2021, when he led the league with 11 interceptions, he was more of a one-trick pony with a 58.5 overall grade, according to PFF.
For a team without another lever to pull, it’s understandable to be excited about Diggs’s return. But expecting him to return to his All-Pro form is an ill-fated idea that could doom the Cowboys’ secondary down the stretch.