ARLINGTON, Texas – For the eighth straight game, the Cowboys have been without Pro Bowl CB Trevon Diggs in their secondary as he's been dealing with a knee injury.
With Diggs on the injured reserve/designated to return list and in his 21-day practice window, the past two games have served as opportunities for him to be activated and return to the field. He was under the impression that Sunday night against the Vikings would be his first game back since Week 6.
"Going into the week, that was the plan, was for me to play. I was included in the game plan to play." Diggs said. "Yesterday, I was told I wasn't playing, so that's why I thought that I was playing. It was a quick decision, I didn't know. I thought I was going to come out here and play, but they felt otherwise. That's just what it was."
Diggs added that he was "upset" with the teams decision to keep him inactive, and voiced those frustrations with them yesterday, saying "they know" when asked if he had any discourse with them team about their choice.
"Definitely disappointed, because I definitely thought I was coming out, going to play, being able to help these guys try to pull out a win," Diggs said. "I think how it was handled, I didn't like that, because I thought that I was playing. It is what it is, try to focus on next week, see if I can show them whatever they want to see. I'm going to show them and go from there."
The bigger question now for Diggs is why he hasn't been on the field. Cowboys owner/GM Jerry Jones said following Dallas' 34-26 loss to the Vikings on Sunday night that Diggs "isn't healthy enough to be out there for us, period."
"You've got to look at practices," Jones said. "If they practice good enough, whether it's a limitation that they've had in recent games or a long-term injury, you've got to make your mind up when you see them practice. When you looked at practice, we didn't like what we saw relative to his health and ability to make plays."
Diggs on the other hand believes that he feels well enough physically to go out and play.
"I hope I can play. I hope they decide I can play," Diggs said. "I feel good enough to play, so we'll just have to see. At the end of the day, it's not my decision. Me personally, I feel good, I feel healthy, I feel ready. So I just got to wait."
When asked what the explanation he was given was, Diggs said he wasn't sure.
"I feel good, I feel good enough to play. I practiced all week, so I don't know. It's not my decision, it's not my call…"
"From the first conversation that we had, I guess I wasn't showing them what they wanted to see in practice. And this week, I showed them what they wanted to see in practice, and it still was the same result. I don't know what else I need to do or need to show. At this point, I feel like it's not up to me or what I do, it's really up to them and what they want to do. I'm just showing up every day and going to work."
Dallas' defense struggled on Sunday night against Minnesota, especially against the pass. 250 of the Vikings' 327 total yards of offense came through air, which Diggs admitted was difficult to watch for him because of the impact he feels he can make.
"Of course, I want to be out there helping the guys win," Diggs said. "So yeah, it makes it hard to watch because I feel like I can contribute and be there, so yeah, it's painful to watch. I want to play…"
"I feel like I can make a big difference. I feel like I can contribute. I feel I can help this team win."
The next decision that Dallas will have to make on Diggs comes in just a few days, with his 21-day practice window closing on December 20 where he'll either need to be activated or remain on injured reserve for the remainder of the season. There's also a decision to made following his future, and he reiterated he wants to remain in Dallas after this season.
"Of course, I love Dallas. Dallas is a great place," Diggs said when asked about if he wants to be with the Cowboys next season. "I've built great relationships with these guys, they're like my brothers, so of course I want to be here. But at the end of the day, it's a business. I don't know what the future holds, it's in God's hands. I'm just doing what I can do, showing up where I can show up, and go from there."
