ARLINGTON, Texas (AP) — Trevon Diggs is playing for the Dallas Cowboys in their home finale against the Los Angeles Chargers on Sunday, the first action for the star cornerback since sustaining a concussion in an accident at home two months ago.
The Cowboys have said the delay in Diggs’ return to action was due to lingering issues with his knees, including a left knee that has been surgically repaired twice in the past two years.
Dallas was also without defensive tackle Quinnen Williams, who was inactive after sustaining a concussion 10 days ago in a loss to Minnesota. Williams also has a neck issue. It’s the first game Williams has missed for Dallas since the trade that brought him from the New York Jets in November.
There have been questions about whether Diggs would play for Dallas again because the 2021 All-Pro is a likely candidate to be released in the offseason in a cost-cutting move. If Diggs hadn’t been activated off injured reserve Saturday, his season would have been over.
Diggs, who returned sooner than expected from offseason knee surgery and made it back for the opener, played in the first six games before getting the concussion. Diggs hasn’t offered details on how the concussion happened.
Diggs’ return could have something to do with the season-ending move to IR for cornerback DaRon Bland, who may need his second surgery in two seasons for a troublesome left foot.
Last year’s surgery just before the start of the season was for a stress fracture and sidelined Bland for 10 games. Bland set an NFL record with five interception returns for touchdowns in 2023, when he also led the NFL with nine picks.
The Cowboys signed Diggs to a $97 million extension in 2023, two years after he led the league with 11 interceptions. It was the most in the NFL since Everson Walls had 11 as a rookie for Dallas in 1981.
Bland signed a $92 million extension in August. By the end of this season, he will have missed 15 of the past 34 games, with just one interception since collecting 14 over his first two seasons.
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