PHILADELPHIA -- After trending in the right direction during the week of practice, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs and left tackle Tyler Guyton carry no injury designation into Thursday's season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles and will be available to play.
The question is how much. On Friday, coach Brian Schottenheimer acknowledged it is easier to mix and match how much Diggs plays compared with Guyton because of their positions.
During training camp in Oxnard, California, it was unclear when either would be able to play this season.
Diggs opened camp on the physically unable to perform list as he rehabbed a complicated surgery on his left knee in January. He elected to do his rehab in South Florida, which led to his base salary being reduced by $500,000 due to a de-escalator clause in his contract that required him to participate in 84% of the Cowboys' offseason program.
He was activated off PUP on Aug. 24 and has been able to get two weeks of practice in, taking snaps with the first-team defense as well as the scout team to improve his conditioning. He said Monday he believed he had a 75-80% chance of playing after feeling good.
Diggs might work as the Cowboys' third cornerback Thursday and play in passing situations with DaRon Bland moving into the slot. The Cowboys will monitor his snaps, which could lead to Reddy Steward seeing some work in the slot as well.
The Cowboys initially feared Guyton suffered a torn ACL in practice on July 28, but after further testing he was diagnosed with a broken bone in his knee. In the past 10 days, he has gone from doing rehab to practicing with the first team.
Coaches praised Guyton's off-field work in staying up to date with the offense and the line's responsibilities. Guyton, a first-round pick in 2024, started 11 of the 15 games he played last year.
If things change before kickoff, the Cowboys would likely start Nate Thomas at left tackle with Hakeem Adeniji as the swing tackle.