Let's begin with a moment of silence for Dallas Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs.
Fresh off of a 5yr/$97 million contract extension prior to the start of the season, Diggs is now expected to be out for the remainder of the season.
After practice on Thursday afternoon, Diggs was seen in crutches in the locker room, favoring his knee.
When questioned, QB Dak Prescott said “Some of you saw him leaving the field, so prayers to him. Simple as that.”
Prayers were exactly what were going up in the short period of time between Diggs leaving the field and the confirmation of the unfortunate injury.
It was reported by various media outlets that an MRI officially diagnosed Diggs with a torn ACL, and the news has Cowboys Nation in a somber mood.
What Does This Mean For Trevon Diggs?
Well, obviously Diggs' season is over.
There are no words to describe what Diggs must be feeling in this moment.
Since being drafted in the 2nd round of the 2020 NFL Draft, Diggs has used work ethic and natural ability to morph himself into arguably the top cornerback in the NFL.
Diggs, perhaps even more motivated by his new $97 million contract, was playing the best football of his career in these two short weeks to start the season.
In two blowout wins over both New York teams that play in MetLife Stadium, Diggs put up six tackles, three passes defensed, one interception, and one forced fumble.
The Cowboys defense currently ranks at the top of several statistical categories including yards allowed and points per game.
Make no mistake, despite other stars on the defense, Diggs is a huge component of that success, famously allowing just a 1.0 QB rating when the ball was thrown his way.
He must be devastated to now have to watch from the sidelines in a season where Dallas has legitimate Super Bowl aspirations.
Prayers for Diggs, his family, and his teammates at this difficult time, and best wishes for a full recovery to return in 2024.
What Does This Mean For Dallas?
In short, next man up.
That might sound harsh, but it's the cold, hard truth that other players will have to step up and do their best to fill the Texas sized gap left by Diggs' injury.
Dan Quinn and staff will have some decisions to make as to how the defense will shuffle in his absence.
This offseason, Dallas sent a 5th round pick to the Indianapolis Colts in exchange for former NFL Defensive Player of the Year Stephon Gilmore.
Gilmore will now have to be the best version of himself as the de facto CB1 in Dallas, and his leadership will be valuable in molding whoever lines up opposite of him in the defensive formation.
The likely substitute on the outside of the formation is second year player DaRon Bland, who filled in nicely last season in spot duty.
Nahshon Wright will also be a candidate after his return from Injured Reserve.
Newly acquired former 1st round CB Noah Igbinoghene is another option for playing time.
The truth is, a full shuffle of the defense will likely happen, with contributions from all the cornerbacks on the roster.
Jourdan Lewis will most likely step back into his slot cornerback role that he vacated last year after suffering a Lisfranc injury that ended his 2022 campaign.
Israel Mukuamu is another candidate to get in on coverage, as is rookie 6th round pick Eric Scott Jr.
Again, terrible news for Trevon Diggs, the Dallas Cowboys organization, and Cowboys fans across the world.
