Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs was waived unexpectedly with one week remaining in the season after a mix of on-field and off-field issues, coach Brian Schottenheimer said. The team cited performance, injury history and protocol breaches as contributors, and Schottenheimer described the decision as the result of “multiple factors.” Diggs signed a five-year, $97 million extension in 2023 but played only 21 games since that season’s start because of knee injuries and related surgery. The team also disciplined Diggs financially for rehabbing away from the facility and flagged a postgame incident—he declined to board the team’s return flight after the Dec. 25 win over Washington—as a final catalyst.
Key Takeaways
- The Cowboys waived Trevon Diggs with a week left in the season; the move occurred earlier than the organization and many observers expected.
- Diggs signed a five-year, $97 million extension in 2023 and has appeared in 21 games since the start of the 2023 season due to knee problems.
- The left knee required a chondral graft in January, and the club enforced a $500,000 base-salary de-escalator for 2025 tied to his rehabilitation choices.
- Before Week 7, Diggs sustained a concussion in an at-home accident he said occurred while installing a television mount.
- Schottenheimer said skipping the team’s postgame flight on was “one of many factors” in the release but not the sole reason.
- Diggs’ peak production included a first-team All-Pro season in 2021 (11 interceptions, 142 return yards, two TDs) and a Pro Bowl nod in 2022 (three interceptions).
Background
Trevon Diggs rose quickly after being drafted, establishing himself as a top playmaker with an 11-interception season in 2021 that earned first-team All-Pro honors. That year remains his statistical high-water mark: 11 picks for 142 return yards and two touchdowns. Expectations rose further when the Cowboys committed to a five-year, $97 million extension in 2023, signaling long-term faith in his role as a cornerstone of the secondary.
But the intervening period has been marred by injuries and inconsistent availability. Diggs has played just 21 games since the start of the 2023 season because of left-knee problems that culminated in a chondral graft surgery in January. The team publicly expressed displeasure after Diggs rehabilitated away from the Cowboys’ facility, prompting a $500,000 base-salary de-escalator tied to those choices for 2025. Those developments altered the club’s assessment of roster value and roster-management risk.
Main Event
The immediate timeline accelerated after the Cowboys’ victory over Washington on Christmas Day. According to multiple reports and Schottenheimer’s account, Diggs asked to stay in the D.C. area to be with family and did not board the team flight back to Dallas. Schottenheimer said the request was denied and that the team requires players to travel with the squad unless there is a documented family emergency or a similarly specific circumstance.
Schottenheimer described the decision to release Diggs as cumulative: performance declines, medical availability, protocol breaches and other unspecified elements. He told reporters the skipped flight “was one of many factors” and stressed that the club follows a consistent process for roster discipline. Other players who made similar requests were reportedly denied, Schottenheimer added.
On the field, Diggs’ production has waned from his 2021 peak. While he was a Pro Bowler in 2022, his interception totals dropped; the team noted only three interceptions across the subsequent three seasons. The diminished turnover production, combined with injury availability and the breakdown over rehab location, figured into the organization’s calculus.
Analysis & Implications
Financially, releasing a player who signed a $97 million extension in 2023 creates immediate and future cap considerations for the Cowboys. The club has already applied a $500,000 de-escalator tied to Diggs’ 2025 base salary, indicating contract mechanisms were in use to manage risk. Depending on the contract’s dead-cap structure, the Cowboys may absorb near-term charges but free roster and cash resources for the final stretch of the season and upcoming offseason moves.
From a roster-construction perspective, the move signals the Cowboys’ willingness to prioritize protocol compliance and roster culture alongside pure talent. Teams typically weigh elite upside against availability and adherence to team processes; when those concerns compound, organizations often opt to move on rather than retain a potentially disruptive, high-cost asset.
For Diggs, the market will balance his established playmaking history (notably 2021) with recent health and availability questions. Some teams will value his upside if they believe the medical issues are healed and the behavioral concerns are situational. Others will be wary because multiple seasons of limited availability and a postgame travel dispute introduce additional risk into any potential deal.
Comparison & Data
| Season | Interceptions | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| 2021 | 11 | First-team All-Pro; 142 return yards, 2 TDs |
| 2022 | 3 | Pro Bowl selection |
| 2023–present | 3 | Only 21 games played since 2023 start; knee surgery in January |
These figures show a clear drop from Diggs’ 2021 peak. The Cowboys’ decision weighs the decline in turnovers and the limited games played against the financial and football upside that originally justified a large extension.
Reactions & Quotes
Schottenheimer framed the release as multifactorial while also underscoring team protocol and parity in enforcement.
“It was a culmination of multiple factors,”
Brian Schottenheimer (Cowboys head coach)
On the travel protocol and the postgame exchange, Schottenheimer emphasized consistency in team rules and said the process was not followed.
“We go up as a team, we come back as a team,”
Brian Schottenheimer (Cowboys head coach)
Public reaction among fans and analysts has been mixed: some view the move as a necessary stance on culture and reliability, while others see it as a premature parting given Diggs’ playmaking track record when healthy.
Unconfirmed
- Whether Diggs’ decision to skip the flight alone would have triggered his release absent the other medical and performance issues remains unconfirmed.
- The precise internal evaluation weighting (how much each factor contributed) has not been publicly disclosed by the Cowboys.
- Details about any private conversations between Diggs and team leadership beyond the coach’s public remarks are not confirmed.
Bottom Line
The Cowboys’ waiver of Trevon Diggs combines injury history, reduced on-field production and a final protocol breach into a decision that alters both the team’s secondary and the player-market calculus. While Diggs’ 2021 All-Pro season still defines his ceiling, availability and adherence to team processes ultimately proved decisive for Dallas.
For Diggs, the next stop will depend on how teams evaluate his medical reports, willingness to adhere to organizational protocols and his readiness to return to play. For the Cowboys, the move frees roster flexibility and reinforces a message about consistent team standards as they finish the season and enter offseason planning.
Sources
- NBC Sports / ProFootballTalk (news outlet reporting coach comments)
- Dallas Cowboys official site (team website; coach quotes via Tommy Yarrish)