It feels like ages ago that Trevon Diggs set the NFL on fire in his second year with a league-leading 11 interceptions and two pick-sixes. Just four years later, it would appear that Diggs and the Dallas Cowboys are heading for a divorce.
The Cowboys placed Diggs on injured reserve Saturday, sidelining him for at least four games. He missed Week 7 due to a concussion sustained during an at-home accident, but team reporter Ed Werder noted the IR decision was primarily related to Diggs’ surgically repaired right knee.
Jerry Jones had said that Dallas didn't expect a long-term absence for Diggs on the heels of his concussion. That Diggs is now on IR because of his knee is the latest in a long list of strange happenings for the former All-Pro this calendar year. This is merely an opinion, but it would be more surprising than not if Diggs plays another game for the franchise.
It feels like Trevon Diggs has played his last game for the Dallas Cowboys
Jerry and Stephen Jones were not happy with Diggs in the offseason. The team activated the $500,000 de-escalator in Diggs' contract over the summer for rehabbing away from the facility. The Joneses subsequently called out Diggs' leadership and implied that he didn't attack his ACL rehab with the desired vigor.
Diggs got the last laugh by being ready for Week 1, but it became clear early in the season that he wasn't fully healthy. He's allowed a 154.9 passer rating in six games and a whopping 19.6 yards per reception, per Pro Football Focus.
Beyond the field, Diggs has looked mentally checked out since the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons, his closest friend on the team. A video showed Diggs ignoring Dak Prescott's motivational speech before Dallas' massive Week 4 game against the Packers. That's inexcusable behavior.
RELATED:Jerry and Stephen Jones have made Cowboys' Trevon Diggs mystery even more alarming
Diggs has also publicly taken issue with Matt Eberflus for not calling more man coverage. That gave the impression that Eberflus was losing the locker room, but the Week 7 win over Washington proved that is not the case. It might not be a coincidence that the defense had its best performance with Diggs watching from home.
It's one thing for the media to criticize Eberflus' scheme. Diggs doing so sent a wrong message to the locker room and only gave rise to more Eberflus criticism. If Dak Prescott can avoid throwing Eberflus under the bus while playing like an MVP, Diggs certainly could've avoided throwing Eberflus under the bus while allowing nearly a perfect passer rating when targeted.
That brings us to last week's concussion, which was suffered at a home accident in which details still haven't been revealed.
There's justifiable frustration from both sides, but it feels like the Cowboys are tired of the Diggs headache. He's on the decline because of injuries and has a clear negative energy about him.
The Cowboys can trade Diggs while he's on IR and save $9.1 million in cap space while absorbing a palatable $2.9 million in dead money, per Over The Cap. That will be easier said than done, given that he isn't healthy, but Dallas might accept a fourth- or fifth-round pick to get his negative energy out of the building.
If they can't trade him, they can cut him in the offseason with a post-June 1 designation and save $15.5 million in cap room with just $2.9 million in dead cap.
Again, this is mere speculation. There haven't been any reports claiming that the Cowboys are shopping Diggs, and Diggs himself hasn't requested to be traded. But given the contentious timeline and mysterious nature of this IR stint, a divorce feels inevitable, whether it be before the November 4 trade deadline or right after the season.