GREEN BAY – A season of the unexpected continued on Thursday for the Packers when Trevon Diggs entered the chat just days before the regular-season finale in Minnesota.
After being released by Dallas, the former All-Pro cornerback was getting ready to take his family to Dave and Buster's on Wednesday before receiving a call from his agent informing Diggs that Green Bay had claimed him off waivers.
With that news, Diggs packed a bag, headed to the airport and flew in around 9 p.m. He passed his Thursday morning physical and was on the field for the Packers' 11:35 a.m. practice.
Addressing reporters afterward, the 27-year-old-cornerback expressed his gratitude for Green Bay bringing him in for its upcoming playoff push and confirmed he's ready to play Sunday against the Vikings if that's what the team wants.
"It shows that they believe in me, like I believe in myself," Diggs said. "I'm ready to show what I can do."
Diggs' addition comes four months after the Packers acquired one of his best friends in renowned pass rusher Micah Parsons, whom the Cowboys traded in late August after the two sides couldn't come to an agreement on a contract extension.
Parsons' debut in Green Bay saw him record 12½ sacks and notch his fifth Pro Bowl selection. One of the first things Diggs did after learning the Packers claimed him was to reach out to Parsons, who's provided a positive endorsement for Green Bay while offering Diggs a place to stay and a car to use if needed.
The duo became affectionately known in Dallas as "7/11" because of their uniform numbers and immense impact on the Cowboys' defense during their four seasons together.
Both were named first-team All-Pro in 2021 after Parsons recorded 13 sacks during his NFL Defensive Rookie of the Year campaign and Diggs grabbed an eye-popping 11 interceptions.
The 6-foot-1, 202-pound cornerback made the Pro Bowl again the following season en route to signing a contract extension with Dallas in the summer of the 2023. He tore his anterior cruciate ligament two games into that season, the first of a series of injuries Diggs has encountered over the past three seasons.
At every turn, Parsons was there for Diggs. When Parsons tore his ACL last month, Diggs vowed to do the same for him.
"He's in good spirits. I'm excited for him, for his journey," Diggs said. "He came to check on me last year, when I was down in Florida, which meant a lot to me – like you just coming out your way to see how I'm doing, making sure I'm doing what I'm supposed to do … so I'm for sure going to be there for him, every step of the way."
Parsons is one of 13 players currently on injured reserve for the Packers, who also lost cornerbacks Nate Hobbs (knee) and Kamal Hadden (ankle) likely for the remainder of the season during last Saturday's 41-24 loss to the Baltimore Ravens.
With only three healthy cornerbacks on the roster, Green Bay promoted three from its practice squad this week – Jaylin Simpson, Shemar Bartholomew and Johnathan Baldwin – before putting in a claim for Diggs.
While injuries have cost Diggs 30 regular-season games over the past three seasons, he started the past two weeks for the Cowboys. With some past scheme familiarity, the Packers believe Diggs could help solidify a banged-up secondary.
Defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley said the job of the coaching staff will be to figure out which areas of the defense Diggs is most comfortable and "maximize his ability" with the scheme.
"Watching him throughout the years … what I remember is just elite ball skills, the ability to read and anticipate, see the quarterback, anticipate routes, jump routes," Hafley said.
"With the playoffs right around the corner, we've got to speed him up fast because there's not going to be a lot of practice reps."
One area Diggs could provide an immediate boost for Green Bay is in the takeaway department. The Packers currently are tied for 26th in takeaways (13) and 27th in interceptions (seven).
Despite missing most of 2023, Diggs remains the only player in the NFL with 20-plus interceptions and 60-plus passes defensed since 2020.
"He can help us tremendously," said safety Xavier McKinney, who played with Diggs at Alabama. "He can get the ball, and I think that's one thing that we're missing is getting the ball at a high rate. I think he can be the guy that comes in and really helps us with that."
With the postseason on the horizon, Diggs sees "a wonderful opportunity" in Green Bay and believes this can be a fresh start for him after how things ended in Dallas. Outside noise cancelled, the former All-Pro can focus on the work again.
Of course, Diggs would love nothing more than to play again with Parsons and knows a strong finish could help make that a reality next season.
When asked what type of player he is at this point in his career, Diggs calmly and confidently replied: "I still feel like I'm the best," and looks forward to having the opportunity to prove it.
"I just need to be myself. Be who I know I am," Diggs said. "Go out there and perform and everything will take care of itself. I'm not chasing accolades. I'm not chasing anything. I'm chasing being a better me, being better every day; helping his team win."
