Cowboys Give Concerning Update on Trevon Diggs Future After Week 8 Loss
So, it’s not just the concussion from an accident at home, it turns out. When the Cowboys moved cornerback Trevon Diggs to injured reserve this week after he was put into protocol because of a whack to the head, it was seen as something of a curious move. Concussions are unpredictable and despite missing Week 8, it seemed reasonable that Diggs might return for Week 9 or 10.
Moving Diggs to IR, though, forces the Cowboys to be without Diggs for at least four weeks. The team would not have done that if the only problem with the struggling star was the concussion, especially after Sunday’s 44-24 debacle in Denver, in which the Cowboys yielded 424 yards of offense.
As it turns out, the knee injury that required Diggs to have surgery last offseason is still affecting him, and the team decided to shut him down for a spell–perhaps for the season–because of it.
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Expects a Return
Team owner Jerry Jones addressed the Diggs situation after the game.
“I don’t know. It depends on—he’s got an area that’s hurt,” Jones said, referring to Diggs’ knee. “That will have to heal. As we get into it, we’ll see how it goes. He is generally just got to get in better shape to play.”
Jones did, though, hold out some hope that Diggs would be back.
“Why not? Yes,” he said. “There’s a little beyond my expectations. We’ve got to see how he heels from his injury. He hasn’t been there physically in full shape for us.”
Trevon Diggs’ Knee Has Been ‘Problematic’
Diggs has struggled this season, allowing a whopping 148.7 passer rating when he is targeted, a major leap for a guy who allows a career passer rating of 77.2. He had graft surgery in January to bolster his knee, which bothered him throughout last season. Diggs had ACL surgery in 2023, and has never really fully been in his previous Pro Bowl form since then.
Coach Brian Schottenheimer echoed Jones by saying the team expects him back, hopefully for a playoff push.
“The knee has been problematic throughout the season. … He’s a really good player and we just want to get him back and get him healthy and to be able to help us finish strong, because we feel like this thing’s going to come down to the end of the season,” Schottenheimer said.
Texans’ DeMeco Ryans Calls Win vs. 49ers One of C.J. Stroud’s Best
The Houston Texans, throughout what would be their third win of the 2025 NFL season, ended up taking notable control of the game from start to finish on the offensive side of the ball.
C.J. Stroud was the leader of those efforts on Houston's scoring unit, and in all, rattled off one of his most productive games of the season.
On 39 total throws, Stroud completed 76% of his passes for a total of 318 yards through the air, to pair with two touchdowns and just one pick. He got nine pass-catchers involved on the day without Nico Collins or Christian Kirk in the mix, and came out to a nice 106.6 passer rating.
He's a considerable reason as to why the Texans had the success that they did against a formidable 49ers squad–– and after the game, his head coach DeMeco Ryans made sure to give him his due credit, saying his performance vs. San Francisco was one of the best in his entire career.
“One of his best games ever,” Ryans said of C.J. Stroud. “When C.J. is locked in, when the quarterback is playing well and C.J. plays well and he’s upbeat and everybody can see he’s going to the right spot with the football, he’s making great decisions, stepping up, escaping the pocket, converting some runs there, converting some third downs, you just see the entire energy, the vibe of our entire sideline just changes. Everybody is looking for the quarterback for that leadership."
DeMeco Ryans Credits C.J. Stroud's Leadership, O-Line in Win vs. 49ers
More than just his production on the field, Stroud maintained his status as a high-end leader on the sidelines for Houston as well, stoking the fire to help the Texans' energy stay high for the entire way, and it certainly showed in the end results.
Stroud also had some major help from his offensive line, a group that allowed zero sacks on the day for the first time this season, and only the fifth time of his career–– the last time being seen during his rookie campaign.
Of course, Ryans made sure to extend his praise to what he saw upfront as well, which led to a smooth and sound offensive operation throughout the way in Houston.
"It’s just about nothing special or nothing grand. It’s just about him remaining disciplined as a quarterback, doing exactly what he’s supposed to do on every given play. When he does that, he makes great decisions and with the offensive line the way they worked today, that’s what you see: one of his best games ever."
"The way he operated today was very clean football and I’m proud of where he is. We just have to continue to stay with this every week.”
Now with the vibes on a good note both offensively and defensively before continuing their extended home stretch, the momentum might be building at a perfect time, with a critical Week 9 battle on the horizon against the Denver Broncos for a chance to elevate back to a .500 record.
It remains to be seen if the Texans will have enough juice to keep their winning ways going, but if Stroud and his protection can remain similar to what was shown against the 49ers, rattling off two straight wins is far from out of the realm of possibilities.
