Trevon Diggs returns, offered a final opportunity to prove his playmaking ability with the Cowboys.
FRISCO - Trevon Diggs' career with the Dallas Cowboys isn't at the finish line.
But you can see the finish line from here.
The Dallas Cowboys are 6-7-1 and have nothing to lose.
Well, except for three more games.
The secondary is full of holes, especially that starting cornerback DaRon Bland is out with a left foot injury that might need surgery.
Enter the Saturday decision to fill that vacancy with IR’d corner Trevon Diggs.
Diggs’ 21-day activation window was to close this weekend, so he's getting another crack at it even as we are likely seeing the end of Diggs’ career with the Cowboys.
Given the injuries, the unhappiness, the lack of production, the lack of trust and the $12 million in cap room made available next spring should they part with Diggs, some sort of ignominious ending to his time here was always, to me, inevitable.
But for the moment?
One last chance.
The Cowboys have made the move. Diggs is active and available for Sunday’s Week 16 visit from the Chargers.
Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer foreshadowed the move when he updated Diggs’ status on Friday. He said the faded two-time Pro Bowl corner has practiced well recently.
“Mr. Diggs is having a very good week,’’ Schotty said. “I’ll say this: When you look at Trevon this week, what I’ve loved is that he is enjoying football. He’s smiling and running around, and to his credit, he’s had a strong week. …’’
A “smiling’’ Diggs? Unintentionally, the head coach just revealed a truth about the situation, a confirmation about my reporting.
Diggs’ knees aren’t the problem. Nor is his concussion. Those were issues way back in Week 7 when he moved to IR under shrouded circumstances. (An “at-home accident.’’)
But in the last couple of weeks? It’s been about trust and mood and attitude.
I mean, hey, when was the last time you heard an injury update that included an improvement in “smiling’’?
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When healthy, Diggs, 27, could still be among the top playmaking cornerbacks in football. In 2021, he led the league with 11 interceptions; maybe that talent can re-emerge … in these final three weeks in Dallas, and/or somewhere else in 2026.
Diggs, for his part, issued (another) public protest a week ago, suggesting he was lied to about being activated before the Week 15 loss to Minnesota.
“This week, I showed them what they wanted to see in practice and it’s still the same result,’‘ he said, forgetting to mention that he’d met with Schottenheimer last weekend and received a full explantion. “I don’t know what else I need to do or what to show. ...’‘
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For now? Owner Jerry Jones recently spoke on Diggs’ talent and his penchant for “playing outside the scheme.’’
“Diggs has a very unique way …. that he contributes to a team, because he will basically at times go away from the scheme to make a great play,” Jerry said. “When he doesn’t make that play, you can have a bad play.’’
But at this point in the season? What’s one more “bad play’’?