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FRISCO, Texas -- The 2025 calendar year hasn't been a smooth ride for two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs and the Dallas Cowboys, and now it's gone from a rocky year to a mysterious one.

It began with a bumpy start this past offseason when the 27-year-old decided to train in Miami on his own instead of at The Star, the team's facility, while working his way back from a chondral tissue graft procedure he had on his knee in January. Diggs' choice to do so during voluntary organized team activities led to owner and general manager Jerry Jones and team EVP and COO Stephen Jones docking his 2025 salary by $500,000. The 2021 NFL interceptions leader then exceeded expectations with his rehab and suited up in Week 1 against the Eagles, an encouraging start.

Then came the ideological clash with new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Eberflus had Dallas running zone coverage on 86.6% of its defensive snaps through the first five weeks of the season, the highest rate in the league per TruMedia, and man coverage on 7.9% of its defensive snaps through the first five weeks of the season, the lowest rate in the league. That was a stark contrast to Dallas' defensive glory years of the 2020s (2021-23 under now-Commanders head coach Dan Quinn) when the Cowboys ran man coverage at the third-highest rate in the NFL at 33.8%, per TruMedia.

Following a slow start to the year, Dallas ran man coverage at a higher rate (14.1% of its defensive snaps) in a 37-22 Week 5 win at the Jets in which the Cowboys had their then-best defensive game of the year. That's when Diggs rubbed it in to Eberflus about Dallas' man coverage success in his postgame comments.

"When we have pressure like that, we can call whatever. We can call prevent [defense] and it would've won," Diggs said. "I definitely felt like it [playing more man coverage] worked. We got off the field. The D-line was getting back there so fast. We say when they get back there fast it's called Instant Grits. You know how you make the Instant Grits in the packet? You don't want oatmeal. Oatmeal takes too long. You want Instant Grits. We had Instant Grits [on Sunday]."

When CBS Sports asked Eberflus at the time about Diggs' comments and if that would lead to more man coverage going forward, the Dallas DC clapped back with a sarcastic remark about Diggs' grits metaphor. Overall, Dallas has utilized zone coverage at the 10th-highest rate in the NFL (78.5%) and man coverage at the sixth-lowest rate in the NFL (15.9%) this season, according to TruMedia. The Cowboys are allowing 255.2 passing yards per game in 2025, the most in the league.

"We're going to make the decisions based on what we feel is best. Based on the matchups, based on what we have. I don't like grits either," Eberflus said with a wry grin at the time.

Two weeks later, Dallas ruled Diggs out the Friday before its Week 7 matchup with the Commanders after the cornerback suffered a concussion in an accident at his home. During the time that Diggs was in concussion protocol, the Cowboys placed him on injured reserve because of a setback with his knee, and he hasn't played since, missing the last seven games.

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What's next for Diggs and his potential return in 2025

Dallas opened Diggs' 21-day practice window to work his way back to a return from injured reserve on Nov. 30, and he has until Dec. 20 at 4 p.m., the day before the Cowboys' Week 16 home finale against the Chargers, to be activated. Otherwise, Diggs would remain on IR and not return to play this season.

The curious part about Diggs' situation is he appears just as able-bodied as the Cowboys' other cornerbacks when watching him go through position drills during the media viewing portion of practice. He also appeared to be sprinting at a high speed when chasing a teammate through Dallas' locker room earlier this week. That's why it feels like Diggs is in somewhat of a limbo with nine days remaining before the Cowboys need to decide whether or not he will play again in 2025.

"In terms of Trevon, he's still in the ramp period. I think 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. When you miss some time, there's the ramp-up period," coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday. "It is not just for your body, but for your mind and figuring out some of the defense, and there's some new faces in the huddle and things like that. So again, love him as a player, but ultimately he's got to show us he's ready to do everything the right way."

What does doing "everything the right way" look like in Schottenheimer's eyes?

"Consistency through everything. He's no different than Dak Prescott or Jake Ferguson or Kenny Clark. Just continue to do everything the right way," Schottenheimer said. "Thought last week was a good first step, and hopefully this week is an even better step. If it is, you'll see him out there."

Eberflus noted Diggs was "more consistent" in the team's walkthrough before practice Thursday, and the team listed him as a limited practice participant on Wednesday and Thursday this week.

"Talking about Diggs, Diggs in the walkthrough. Did a nice job there, continues to be more consistent. That's what we're looking for, consistency," Eberflus said Thursday. "Again, he's going through a little ramp-up period of coming back, and we will see where he is, just as much as last week. We'll see where he is in terms of consistency and execution throughout the week like we would with anyone."

So is it effort, performance, doing what Eberflus wants? He elaborated to a degree, making it sound like they are looking for more discipline and buy-in from the 2021 first-team All-Pro before allowing him to return to play.

"It's all about just being consistent with everything for any player. I always talk to the players about what's important now. Then, the I in win stands for individual responsibility, and that's what it is. Your individual responsibility for all members of the football team is to be wired in in the meetings," Eberflus said. "Wired in in the practice. Knowing your job, doing your job, asking questions. Make sure it's clear for you, and then go out there and execute. All 11, all together every single play. That's really just for everybody, and we're evaluating that throughout the course of the week. Like I said, who gives the best chance to win the game."

Is it health-related?

"He's still going through a ramp-up period," Eberflus said. "When you take all that time off, there's definitely a ramp-up period, and he's going through that."

So does the organization believe Diggs still has it in him to be a good-to-great football player? His 20 career interceptions since entering the NFL as a second-round pick in 2020 are tied for the second-most in the league, just one behind Pro Bowl safety Justin Simmons' 21 in that span. However, Diggs has missed 28 games across the last three seasons because of knee injuries, including suffering a torn ACL in practice in 2023. 

The eventual answer to that question comes with significant financial ramifications. Diggs is in the second season of a five-year, $97 million contract. If the Cowboys believe the answer is no and want to move on, the Cowboys would save around $12.6 million in cap space if he is released before June 1 in 2026. A post-June 1 release would free up $15.5 million. Diggs' $19.4 million average per year salary is tied for the 10th-highest at the cornerback position, according to OverTheCap.com.

"I think it's in him for sure. The biggest thing that makes all the sense to me that our coaches keep coming back to is we've got to get him to where he practices and practices well on a regular basis," Cowboys COO/EVP Stephen Jones said Monday on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas. "That's when he plays his best football. When he's not able to practice and he misses practices, unfortunately that's translated to how he's played in games. We just got to get him out there to where he's practicing day in and day out. I think we can get it out of him."

Dak Prescott's role in Diggs' situation

Quarterback Dak Prescott, who is now in his 10th season in Dallas as the team's starting quarterback and recently became the franchise's all-time passing yards leader, is the longest-tenured Cowboy and the unquestioned locker room leader among his teammates. That's why he's doing what he can to encourage Diggs after the latter thought he would be activated in Week 14 but then was left on the shelf.

"Me and Diggs, actually, we talk a good bit. Usually just in the locker room. I would say my role that's come in is more of just being optimistic, being the motivator in that sense. Knowing what he's been going through, knowing how much he wants to play and thinking that he may have been called up or got back last week and then didn't, for whatever the reason," Prescott said Thursday. "Just being able to talk to him, being a sounding board and honestly giving him real, honest feedback."

Prescott is serving as a middleman of sorts between the coaching staff and Diggs. The quarterback is letting the star corner know how he's currently being perceived and what he senses the cornerback needs to be doing to fully re-ingratiate himself with his coaches.

"Not just what he wants to hear, but probably 'this is what the coaches are thinking, this is what you've presented, this is what you've given them and this is the best way that I can see it.' He's growing. He's growing each and every day in every aspect of it," Prescott said. "Excited for him just to continue to get healthy and get back to the guy that he's confident in being and going and making those plays."

Dallas' coaching staff agrees with Prescott, believing Diggs could be an impact contributor to its defense again. Everyone will find out at some point in the next nine days if that belief will be enough for Diggs to return to action in 2025.

"Yeah, I think he could make some impact, he really could. But again, it's all about being that consistency and doing the things right," Eberflus said. "But for me, any time you have a talented player, and we're able to utilize him as he ramps up and he shows that he's ready to go health-wise and the other things we've been talking about, certainly want to use those guys."