Dallas Cowboys cornerbacks DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs during the game against the Washington Commanders. Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

Cowboys make notable secondary moves before Chargers matchup

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Randy Gurzi | Last updated Dec 20, 2025 3:11 PM ET

Week 16 will be the final home game this season for the Dallas Cowboys, with the Los Angeles Chargers heading to AT&T Stadium on Sunday. It's going to be a tough game for Dallas, due in large part to the presence of Justin Herbert, who is one of the deadliest passers in the NFL.

Herbert has the talent to put up good numbers against any defense, which makes this an enticing matchup for him since the Dallas defense has had issues stopping everyone. Just this past week, they couldn't make enough plays against J.J. McCarthy, who hadn't been playing very well coming into the game.

Making matters worse, the Cowboys will be without DaRon Bland, whose season ended prematurely due to a foot injury. On Friday, they officially placed Bland on the IR, which will be a blow to this defense. They will, however, have Trevon Diggs active for the first time since Week 6.

The @dallascowboys activated CB Trevon Diggs from Reserve/Injured on Saturday. The club placed CB DaRon Bland (foot) on Reserve/Injured.

Dallas also elevated CB Corey Ballentine from the practice squad for tomorrow’s game against the LA Chargers.
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) December 20, 2025

Diggs was sent to the IR after suffering a concussion at home. In addition to that injury, the Cowboys wanted him to rest his surgically repaired knee, which they believed was hampering him on the field.

In addition to adding Diggs, the Cowboys elevated Corey Ballentine from the practice squad. Ballentine will appear in his third game for Dallas and fourth of the season (he played one game with the New England Patriots). He has yet to take a snap on defense, playing only on special teams thus far.

Cowboys still haven't activated 2024 breakout star

We might never get the full story, but it seems as though Diggs and the front office have been at odds all season. That made his activation somewhat surprising, since there was a prevailing belief that Diggs had played his last game with the Cowboys.

What's most surprising about the decision, however, is the fact that Josh Butler remains on the IR.

Butler has claimed to be healthy after suffering a torn ACL in 2024, but hasn't been activated. With just three games to play, it seemed logical to give Butler a chance to prove he belongs in the team's future plans.

This article first appeared on Dallas Cowboys on SI and was syndicated with permission.

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