Cowboys Make Fateful Trevon Diggs Decision as Mystery Concussion Lingers
On October 17, the Dallas Cowboys two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs walked into the team’s practice facility in Frisco, Texas, exhibiting symptoms of a concussion. He was diagnosed by medical staff and sent home, as well as placed in the NFL’s concussion protocol.
The circumstances that led to the apparent head injury for the 27-year-old Diggs — younger brother of New England Patriots wide receiver Stefon Diggs — were unclear at the time, and more than a week later remain unclear. Coach Brian Schottenheimer said only that Diggs had experienced some sort of “accident” at his home the previous evening.
On Friday of this week, Schottenheimer said that the team had become aware of what happened to Diggs, but he would not make the information public unless Diggs chose to do so himself, according to ESPN reporter Todd Archer.
What is certain, however, is that Diggs was ruled out of last weekend’s home game against the Washington Commanders — won by Dallas with a 44-22 margin — and that the team also ruled him out of Sunday’s late afternoon showdown in the Mile High City against the Denver Broncos, a game that will be televised to most the country in the CBS network’s 4:25 p.m. Eastern time slot.
Diggs Placed on IR
The Cowboys made the decision to rule Diggs out of the Denver game on Friday. On Saturday, the team made an even more fateful decision — placing the six year veteran on the injured reserve list.
The decision means that Diggs must miss at least the next four games, including Sunday’s Denver matchup. How many games Diggs will actually end up missing this season remains to be seen, but it will be a minimum of five.
That means 2025 will mark the third consecutive season in which Diggs has missed at least five games for his team. He sat out all but two games in 2023 with a torn ACL, and missed another six in 2024 as the knee continued to cause problems for him.
Knee a Factor in Cowboys Diggs Decision
According to longtime Cowboys insider Ed Werder, in a report on Saturday, the continued effects of the two-year-old knee injury were also a factor in the decision to send Diggs to IR.
“While Trevon Diggs missed last week’s game because of a concussion, I’m told it was residual problems with his right knee that prompted the Cowboys to place him on IR today,” Werder wrote. “Team source says they want to get him healthy and (the Cowboys are) not that deep at corner so his eventual return (is) possible.”
Werder’s optimism about Diggs “eventual return” was not shared throughout the Cowboys mediasphere, however. According to Richard Louis of the Dallas sports site SportDFW, the latest decision to sideline Diggs could spell the end of his Cowboys career.
Diggs May Have Played Last Cowboys Game: Report
“Back in 2023, Diggs and Dallas agreed on a five-year, $97 million extension, but it looks like a disaster in retrospect,” Louis wrote. “He hasn’t been able to stay healthy, and patience is starting to wear thin in the Lone Star State. … With frustration continuing to rise in Dallas, this latest injury likely means Diggs’ tenure in Dallas will come to an end sooner rather than later.”
Owner Jerry Jones, who would be the ultimate decision-maker when it comes to Diggs’ future in Dallas, expressed his own frustration with the 2020 second-round draft pick, when asked about Diggs by reporters earlier this week.
“There’s no reason to dwell on it anymore,” Jones said, asked about Diggs’ injury by the Dallas Morning News. “I don’t know the status of Diggs as we move forward, but I feel better about being able to play if we don’t have him out there.”
Aaron Rodgers’ Pettiness Gives Steelers Advantage Over Packers
PITTSBURGH — Pittsburgh Steelers quarterback Aaron Rodgers has continued to downplay the “revenge game“ narrative surrounding their upcoming matchup against the Green Bay Packers. When I asked about it recently, he referred to his love and admiration for the organization that he spent 18 years with.
However, the Steelers quarterback might be putting on a bit of a poker face as the team gears out for their Week 8 matchup. According to former NFL quarterback and ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky, Rodgers is silently being fueld by the possibility of gaining retribution against his former franchise.
“No. It’s one of the most petty and spiteful people that we’ve had coming through the NFL in two decades,” he said on ESPN’s First Take. “ This guy holds grudges and it’s been one of the reasons why he had the career that he had.”
Grudges and Winning Sitting In a Tree, K-I-S-S-I-N-G
What Orlovsky touches on here is what Steelers fans have noticed all season long. Revenge and competition are two of the biggest fuels for Rodgers’ competitive fire. He let it
Revenge is a dish best served cold, and Aaron Rodgers continues to order it off the menu. He might not let it show as he prepares for these matchups, but getting one over on his former franchise or teammates or coaches is a huge motivating factor for the 41-year-old Steelers quarterback.
And that’s a testament to how successful Rodgers’ NFL career has been. The four-time NFL MVP and Super Bowl winner has an express ticket to Canton, Ohio as a first-ballot enshrinee to the Pro Football Hall of Fame after he retires. You simply don't achieve that level of success without feeding that competitive edge and taking it to a level very few others can reach. Rodgers has done that successfully over his 21 seasons in the NFL, and it's never faded even as he plays in what could be his final year in the league.
Competitive Advantage
While the comments from Orlovsky may sound like an indictment, it might be just as easily construed as praise. The Steelers have lacked a QB with that level of drive since their franchise legend, Ben Roethlisberger, retired. In the years since, it’s been more like a rotation of wannabe-replacements with little to offer by way of leadership or competitive advantage.
Love or hate Aaron Rodgers, that fire is helping the Steelers in 2025. His abilities have jumpstarted their offense, and his mentality and example has his offensive teammates buying in and gelling as the season progresses. It might be petty or spiteful, but the proof is in the pudding, as they say. The Steelers are 4-2 and they have the chance to make a statement win against a very solid Packers squad. The competitive fire, led by Rodgers, is the key to getting that done.
