The Dallas Cowboys have a favorable schedule to close out the season, but they must win out to catch and dethrone the Philadelphia Eagles in the NFC East. They need all hands on deck, including cornerback Trevon Diggs, who's back on the practice field following a stint on injured reserve.
Diggs had his practice window opened on Nov. 30, but the Cowboys still haven’t added him to the active roster. Brian Schottenheimer and Jerry Jones have insisted that Diggs is “getting closer” and looks good in practice, so what gives?
Per Schottenheimer, the team needs to see more consistency from Diggs, both in practice and meetings. Schotty's full quote (h/t Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star Telegram) does not bode well for Diggs playing Sunday against the Minnesota Vikings, or beyond.
"He’s still in the ramp-up period. He does feel healthy, I know he wants to play. But at the end of the day, we have to do what we think is in the best interest of not just him, but also the football team," Schottenheimer said.
"When you miss time, there’s a ramp-up period for not just your body, but your mind — figuring out the defense, and there’s some new faces in the huddle. I love him as a player, but ultimately he’s got to show us that he’s ready to do everything the right way.”
It feels like Trevon Diggs' days with the Cowboys are numbered
Schottenheimer didn't bring out the dreaded "consistency" term, but that quote is arguably worse than what the Cowboys' head coach has said about Jaydon Blue and Mazi Smith this season when describing to the media why they were healthy scratches.
It is clear now that Diggs has to prove more than just health to return to the field, which shouldn't come as a surprise.
It’s well-documented at this point that Diggs took issue with how frequently the Cowboys played zone early in the season.
And while it has not been reported that Diggs has missed any meetings, team reporter Nicole Hutchison noted that Schottenheimer said Diggs has to be better "with consistency, from meetings, to practice, etc." It stands to reason that is what Schottenheimer meant when he said that Diggs "has to show us he's ready to do everything the right way."
Given Diggs' attitude early on, it's not unfair to think that the former All-Pro may have checked out in meetings and wasn't giving 100 percent in practice. Again, that has not been reported, but Schottenheimer didn't sugarcoat a thing; if Diggs doesn't act like a professional, he won't see the field.
It all goes back to the culture Schottenheimer is trying to build. He wasn't afraid to bench CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens for one drive against the Raiders for missing curfew. It's reasonable to believe that he would take further action if either of the star wide receivers stepped out of line again.
While Cowboys fans now have more evidence that Schottenheimer is the right man for the job, they also have more reason to believe Diggs' days with the franchise are numbered. Whether he plays again this season or not, it increasingly feels like a near-certainty that he’ll be gone in the offseason.