Cowboys Pro Bowl CB Trevon Diggs starts training camp on physically unable to perform list

The Dallas Cowboys have shown up to training camp in Oxnard, California almost entirely whole from a health perspective prior to their first practice on Thursday with the exception of one player: Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs. 

Diggs will start camp on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list, Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said Thursday at the team’s introductory press conference. He suffered a torn ACL in practice of Week 3 last season before the team’s road game against the Arizona Cardinals. Now, Diggs will have to be cleared to play before he can be removed from the list and join the rest of his teammates at practice. 

McCarthy thought Diggs was looking great during his rehab process at Dallas’ minicamp at the beginning of June. 

“We’ll respect the timeline, but Trevon looks great,” McCarthy said on June 5. “He goes a little later in the day [with his physical therapy workout]. … He’s in a good spot. I just talked to him a little bit there Monday during the physicals. As far as when he gets back, let’s be honest, we’re going to be very cautious with those guys. We’re not going to put them out there too soon. Better later than too fast.”  

Diggs consistently worked off to the side with director of rehabilitation Britt Brown during the team’s organized team activities and minicamp practices in May and June. 

With Diggs still working his way back, other young corners will have a chance to shine early in camp alongside 2023 First-Team All-Pro DaRon Bland and Jourdan Lewis, two of the Cowboys’ entrenched starting corners. Some of those reps could go toward rookie fifth-round pick Caelen Carson, out of Wake Forest, or perhaps 2023 sixth-rounder Eric Scott or former Raiders 2017 first-round pick Gareon Conley, a pick up this offseason. Diggs’ absence also makes re-signing five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who remains a free agent ahead of his 13th NFL season, a logical move.

Whenever Diggs does return, he will form one of the most opportunistic cornerback tandems in the entire NFL alongside Bland. His 18 career interceptions are tied for the second most in the league since the Cowboys selected him in the second round of the 2020 NFL Draft while Bland’s 14 career picks since being selected in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL Draft lead the league in that span.