The Dallas Cowboys received unexpected news of a Trevon Diggs injury after the cornerback landed in the concussion protocol following an accident at home. The nature and the extent of the injury are currently unknown, but it leaves the Cowboys short-handed ahead of an important matchup against the Washington Commanders on Sunday.
The Cowboys' secondary is already a disaster and is not in a position to sustain injuries to key players. So, they will need unexpected contributors to step up and make an impact.
Caelen Carson Could Be in Line for Bigger Than Expected Role in 2025 Debut
One of those could be forgotten cornerback Caelen Carson. The second-year player has been sidelined with a knee injury that he suffered back in July during training camp. He ended up missing all of preseason and the first month of the regular season before making his return to practice last week. Despite being a full participant in practice since making his return, Carson wasn't activated off the injured reserve list in Week 6. With an additional week of practice, however, the 23-year-old could be ready to make his season debut.
As Tommy Yarrish of DallasCowboys.com noted on X, Carson would need to be added to the active roster before Sunday, but since Jalen Cropper was waived earlier this week, the Cowboys have an open roster spot to do just that.
Dallas' defensive concerns are so serious that Carson will obviously not be a panacea. While the Cowboys were high on him as a prospect before selecting him in the fifth round of the 2024 NFL draft, fans have seen little of Carson. He began his rookie campaign as a starter, being part of that first unit on defense for five games before eventually landing on the injured reserve list with a nagging shoulder injury. In those starts, he had inconsistent performances, but his Week 1 showing against Amari Cooper and the Cleveland Browns showed enough flashes to be optimistic about his future.
Carson is a physical player with the ability to lock down receivers, but is not known to be a ballhawk. He perhaps differs from the likes of Diggs and DaRon Bland in that regard, but at this point, the Cowboys are desperate to get as many competent bodies out there as possible.
Another player who could benefit from the absence is Trikweze Bridges. The seventh-round pick who joined the Cowboys via waivers has been mostly utilized as a special teamer, but has seen 24 defensive snaps in two games so far this season. Besides Kaiir Elam, Bland, and Reddy Steward, defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus will likely count on him. Whether Carson will be activated and how big a role he will play among this group will be a fascinating storyline to watch for Cowboys fans.