FRISCO, Texas — Make no mistake, the Dallas Cowboys will miss Trevon Diggs. Having suffered a torn ACL in practice on Thursday, the First-Team All-Pro cornerback will miss the remainder of the 2023 season, creating a gargantuan void opposite Stephon Gilmore, a massive challenge that this year's defense is uniquely designed to mostly overcome.
The injury occurred on the grass field at the Cowboys' facility in Frisco, during a one-on-one drill in the red zone, ending in Diggs' season being lost — one that saw him get off to an explosive start.
"You hate to see it with any of your players," head coach Mike McCarthy told 105.3FM the Fan on Friday morning. "Just the outpour of concern for him. He was playing off the charts, and that's the way he practices, too. Obviously [it's] a big blow.
"Your heart goes out to Trevon. You just make sure he feels the love and support, and we've gotta keep moving forward."
Doing so will involve moving second-year talent DaRon Bland to the outside and returning Jourdan Lewis to his role as starting nickel corner, with other depth considerations being put on the table now as well.
But for as much as the Cowboys must begin turning their eyes forward and back toward the looming matchup against the Arizona Cardinals on Sunday, they also understand fully what the impact of this injury means and not only for the team, but for the man inside of the jersey.
"This is the best I've ever seen him," said McCarthy. "His training camp, and the confidence that he's playing with, and his ball skills are off the charts — I've never seen anyone like him. The injury occurred when he was competing for a ball down in the red zone, in one-on-ones, so he's always all over the ball.
"And on a personal note, you can just see him starting to grow. Things are really lined up for him to be one of our leaders, with the contract and everything, but you could see him growing in every way possible. It's a challenge that he'll attack. That's just the way he's wired.
"We'll make sure he feels the support. We'll obviously miss him as a player. He's a big part of our team, our culture and everything we've got going here."
Having landed a multi-year extension from the Cowboys this summer, Diggs made the declaration that he'd work to become “the perfect cornerback” for Dallas, and he'd go on to steal the show in Oxnard from everyone not named Micah Parsons.
That dominance immediately rolled over into Week 1, where his two forced turnovers and heightened physicality helped the Cowboys demolish, and shut out, the Giants at MetLife Stadium. It was much the same in the Week 2 blowout over the New York Jets, with impact plays that included a late-game interception to help seal the deal for Dallas.
His road back to the field will be a long and arduous one, but one he won't walk alone.
