The Dallas Cowboys showed up to training camp in Oxnard, California, almost entirely whole from a health perspective prior to their first practice with the exception of one player: Two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs.
On Tuesday, the Cowboys' secondary became whole with Diggs being removed from the physically unable to perform (PUP) list.
"Smartly," Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy said at his Tuesday press conference when asked how Diggs will be reintegrated into practice. "The biggest thing is to get him to stay on his rehab program with [director of rehab] Britt [Brown], but to get him into the jog throughs and the teaching drills is the first step. Then, we'll see how we progress into the individual [drills]."
Dallas did lose defensive end Sam Williams in a non-contact drill on Sunday as he suffered a torn ACL, McCarthy confirmed.
"First with Sam, that's a really tough break," McCarthy said. "Especially for him because he was clearly going to be a primary contributor as we all felt. Excellent offseason, did the extra. Was able to see him do some work over the summer in person. It's unfortunate when these things happen. He'll do a great job in rehab."
Diggs suffered a torn ACL in practice of Week 3 last season before the team's road game against the Arizona Cardinals. Now, he will able to join the rest of his teammates at practice bit by bit.
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.
While Diggs was still working his way back, other young corners had 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 went 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 pickup this offseason. Diggs' return from a significant injury still makes re-signing five-time Pro Bowl cornerback Stephon Gilmore, who remains a free agent ahead of his 13th NFL season, a logical move. The depth Gilmore provided Dallas in the midst of Diggs' injury a year ago was invaluable.
Now that Diggs is back, he forms one of the most opportunistic cornerback tandems in the entire NFL alongside Bland. His 18 career interceptions are tied for 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.
"Of course he missed it [football]," McCarthy said of Diggs wanting to get back out to the football field again. "No one wants to sit in the classroom all day, and then go out and watch his brothers compete. He definitely misses it, and I know he'll be excited to be out there."