Season Over: Cowboys Lose Another All-Pro to Surgery

Trevon Diggs’ season-ending knee surgery highlights the Cowboys’ injury-riddled nightmare of a season.

Injuries Take a Toll on the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 season has been a tale of unrelenting injuries. With a dismal 5-8 record, their struggles stem largely from an unprecedented wave of setbacks sidelining key players. The Cowboys’ roster has been ravaged, forcing backups and practice squad players into starting roles.

To grasp the severity, consider the list of starters who have missed time this season:

• Dak Prescott (QB1)

• Tyler Guyton (LT1)
• Micah Parsons (DE1)

• Trevon Diggs (CB1)

These are just a handful of names from a growing list of absences that has left every level of the team—from the offensive line to the secondary—crippled. The latest blow? Trevon Diggs is headed for season-ending knee surgery, adding another All-Pro talent to the Cowboys’ long-term injured reserve.

Trevon Diggs: A Crushing Setback

Diggs’ knee injury, though reportedly not an ACL tear, is significant enough to end his 2024 campaign. This marks his second major injury in as many seasons, as he missed nearly all of 2023 due to a prior knee issue. Diggs was showing flashes of his All-Pro form before this setback and was poised to form a fearsome duo with DaRon Bland in the Cowboys’ secondary.

Now, the road to recovery begins again. Fortunately, he will have support from his brother, Buffalo Bills wide receiver Stefon Diggs, who is also rehabilitating a knee injury. The two siblings can lean on each other during their respective recoveries.

What This Means for the Cowboys

For the Cowboys, Diggs’ loss compounds an already bleak season. With their secondary decimated, the defensive backfield lacks depth and cohesion. DaRon Bland has emerged as a standout, but the absence of Diggs on the opposite boundary has left a glaring void.

Defensive coordinator Mike Zimmer faces a daunting task. He must now experiment with combinations to find a stopgap solution for the remainder of the season. Options like Israel Mukuamu could resurface, but with just four games left in what appears to be a lost season, it’s unclear whether the team will prioritize short-term fixes or long-term development.

A Season to Forget

This season will likely be remembered as a nightmare for Cowboys fans. Hopes of a formidable defensive lineup anchored by stars like Diggs and Parsons have been repeatedly dashed by injuries. While Bland continues to shine, the promise of seeing him paired with a healthy Trevon Diggs remains unfulfilled.

As the Cowboys look ahead to the offseason, their focus will undoubtedly be on keeping key players healthy and rebuilding a roster that has been battered from top to bottom. Until then, fans are left wondering what might have been.

The 2024 Cowboys season may be effectively over, but the resilience of players like Trevon Diggs provides hope for a brighter future.