Trevon Diggs‘ impending surgery won’t only knock the Cowboys cornerback out for the remainder of the 2024 campaign. During an appearance on 1053 The Fan, Cowboys EVP Stephen Jones admitted that Diggs likely wouldn’t be available for at least the start of training camp. Jones also confirmed that Diggs was playing through significant pain before suffering another cartilage issue.
“He was having to play with fluid in his knee,” Jones said (via Jon Machota of The Athletic). “He was out there doing everything he can because he wants to play, he wants to compete, he wants to contribute. … But unfortunately he [suffered] a new injury that has to do with cartilage. It’s certainly a very legitimate injury that’s gonna take him some time to recover from. … I don’t think he’ll be a player during training camp. I think his timeline is going to be right about the start of the season.”
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport is a bit more definitive with his timeline, noting that Diggs’ recovery could take up to eight months. That would keep the cornerback off the practice field until at least August, and depending on his required ramp-up period, Diggs could be forced to miss the early part of the regular season.
Rapoport clarifies that Diggs will undergo “surgery to repair an issue related to his articular cartilage.” We’ve already learned that this latest injury isn’t related to the player’s ACL tear from the 2023 campaign. In his comeback season in 2024, Diggs battled a torn calf while also missing two recent games with designations of groin and knee injuries. With his latest season-ending ailment, Diggs’ 2023 and 2024 campaigns will see him combine for 13 total appearances.
The Cowboys are surely hoping the former second-round pick can return to his dependable, All-Pro form, as Diggs is currently in the first year of his five-year, $97M extension. The defensive back is only a few years removed from his prolific 11-interception season, and his 2022 follow-up was just as productive. In his limited looks over the past two years, sites like Pro Football Focus (subscription required) haven’t been as fond of his performance, but we could attribute the downturn to his lingering injuries.
