The injury plague was spreading through the Dallas Cowboys locker room throughout their underwhelming 7-10 season in 2024. Many of those season-ending blows were lost on the defensive side of the ball.

Linebacker DeMarvion Overshown and cornerback Trevon Diggs were two of Dallas’ biggest losses from the starting unit on defense – both suffering knee injuries.

Overshown dealt with his second torn ACL in since entering the NFL, with his surgery also repairing his MCL and PCL. Diggs went through a chondral tissue graft surgery in January.

At the annual league meetings in Florida, co-owner Stephen Jones took a moment to address Overshown and Diggs’ rehabs and give fans an update on their return.

The news was rather unfortunate, but nothing Cowboys Nation wasn’t already expecting.

Jones confirmed that neither player will be ready to return at the start of the 2025 season.

“They have significant injuries,” he said to the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “There’s a good chance they may not start for us when the season starts. They may not be available.”

Further, it is likely that they will miss the first half of the year (around 8-9 games) based on the severity of their injuries and their current rehab timeline.

The good news? Jones and the front office are confident the two will return for a chunk of games this season … with the opportunity to join a surprisingly healthy defense as a whole.

Fans should not take this possible reality for granted.

Overshown has been electric in his limited appearances in a Cowboys uniform since being drafted out of Texas. In a linebacker room that features multiple new faces, Overshown’s eventual return will bring a warm welcome from fans who’ve missed his exciting play.

He mentioned in January how he expects to be on the field sooner rather than later, but due to his youth and the weight of a late-season injury, it’s possible Overshown’s return will be much later than we think.

Diggs is just a few seasons removed from leading the league in interceptions and rising the record books in the process. He is as motivated as ever to return to that impact level in a hopeful bounce-back season.

The concern here is Diggs’ injury history packaged with his age. He will turn 27 near the beginning of the season and has dealt with knee issues for much of the last two seasons.

At a challenging position like cornerback, those facts don’t make you feel too hopeful.

However, the prospect of them returning at some point in 2025 should be some type of positive image for the future.

Pair Overshown and Diggs with proven pieces like Micah Parsons and DaRon Bland and the Cowboys defense is back to being something that hounds opposing offenses and gives fans a newfound belief.

Under new defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus, Overshown and Diggs’ availability are valuable parts of that plan.