GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — Trevon Diggs couldn’t have imagined a few weeks ago that he would have a chance to make an impact in the postseason.
The 27-year-old cornerback finds himself in this incredible position after the Green Bay Packers (9-7-1) claimed off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys last week.
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Diggs was dominant on nearly half of Green Bay’s defensive snaps in Sunday’s regular-season finale. Packers head coach Matt LaFleur hasn’t ruled out starting him in Saturday night’s wild-card game against Chicago (11-6).
“It’s a blessing,” Diggs said. “It’s hard to win in this league and it’s hard to make the playoffs, so to be here and to be able to make the playoffs, it’s really a blessing and I’m really grateful.”
This unexpected opportunity gives the 2021 All-Pro a chance to revive a career that has been in decline. Diggs’ emergence could also help a Packers defense that has struggled since Pro Bowl pass rusher Micah Parsons tore his ACL in a 34-26 loss to Denver, which started Green Bay’s regular season on a four-game skid.
Although Diggs didn’t have his first practice with his new team until Jan. 1, Packers defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said this week that their new cornerback has learned quickly enough that they don’t have to limit anything they do on defense if he’s on the field.
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Hafley noted that safeties Xavier McKinney, Javon Bullard and Evan Williams can relay any information Diggs might need to know.
“It’s been cool to see how he’s integrated with our guys the past few days and how he’s been in meetings,” Hafley said. “Overall, I think he has more confidence in our program now, so I’m happy to play against him.”
Diggs relishes any responsibility he may have on Saturday.
“I’m very comfortable,” he said. “I’m ready for anything.”
Diggs’ change of address marks the latest chapter in a tumultuous 2025 season.
On October 16, he encountered an accident at home and suffered a concussion. Two months later, Diggs explained to reporters that he was hit in the head by a mounting pole while trying to mount a TV.
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Even after Diggs returned from concussion treatment, he remained sidelined and ultimately missed eight games due to what the Cowboys described as lingering knee issues. Diggs ended up playing in just eight games for Dallas this season — six before the concussion and two after.
When the Cowboys cut Diggs last week, coach Brian Schottenheimer said it was due to a series of issues rather than a single incident. Diggs led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021 and was selected to his second Pro Bowl in 2022.
Heading to Green Bay, Diggs reunited with some familiar faces. He was close friends with Parsons and played with McKinney at Alabama. They gave him feedback on how to make his new team successful.
“Just put your head down and work,” Diggs recalled them saying. “Everything will fall into place. You just have to focus on the football here, which is great. So, that was the main advice they gave me.”
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Diggs’ debut with the Packers was encouraging.
The Packers rested most of their starters in a 16-3 loss to Minnesota, and Pro Football Focus gave Diggs a team-leading 81.5 game grade. He’s scored better than 61.7 in just two of eight games in Dallas this season – the opener against Philadelphia (70.2) and the 40th game against Green Bay (83.3).
“We are excited to have him join our team,” Brad said. “We know what kind of player he is. People don’t understand he’s an All-Pro. You can’t take that away from him.”
Diggs hasn’t played at an All-Pro level in a while, but his performance on Sunday at least showed he can help a Green Bay secondary that needs some reinforcements as it attempts to make a long-term playoff push.
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He is ready to meet this challenge.
“It felt natural,” Diggs said. “It feels normal. It feels right. It’s great. I’m just happy to be here.”
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AP NFL: https://apnews.com/hub/NFL
