Trevon Diggs might not be ready for the start of training camp, and there’s a chance the Cowboys cornerback is sidelined for even longer than that. According to ESPN’s Todd Archer, Diggs underwent chondral tissue graft surgery on his left knee today.
We previously heard that Diggs’ impending surgery could sideline him for the start of training camp. It was always expected that the player would undergo bone graft surgery, which requires a longer recovery time but would offer the best long-term outlook. It was initially suggested that recovery could take up to eight months, and that timeline would keep Diggs off the field through the start of the regular season.
Archer notes that Diggs underwent the surgery now vs. several weeks ago because “the growing of the graft” would “ensure best results.” Archer describes the procedure as “a more modern take on a micro-fracture surgery,” with the reporter comparing it to an operation that former Cowboys (and current Commanders) WR Noah Brown underwent earlier in his career.
Diggs was reportedly playing through significant pain this past season before suffering another cartilage issue. Diggs spent much of the 2024 campaign banged up, as the veteran battled a torn calf while also missing two games with designations of groin and knee injuries. Fortunately, this latest issue isn’t related to his ACL tear from the 2023 campaign.
The Cowboys are surely hoping the former second-round pick can return to form as soon as possible, as Diggs just completed the first year of his five-year, $97MM extension. The defensive back is only a few years removed from his prolific 11-interception season, and his 2022 follow-up was just as productive. After his 2023 campaign was wiped out by that aforementioned ACL injury, Diggs managed to get into 11 games during his comeback campaign. The 26-year-old finished the year with 42 tackles and a pair of interceptions, with Pro Football Focus grading him 91st among 118 qualifying cornerbacks.