What Cowboys save on the salary cap after releasing Trevon Diggs

With just one game left in the 2025 season, the Dallas Cowboys decided to part with one of their biggest names on defense. Trevon Diggs, who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, was waived on Tuesday, ending his six-year run with the franchise.

Diggs and the front office have been at odds for the past several seasons, with Diggs' decision to rehab away from team facilities being the most publicized problem between the two sides. A split felt evident all season, but doing so with one game to play wasn't expected.

MORE: NFL insider shares reason for Dallas Cowboys' Trevon Diggs release

A second-round pick in 2020, Diggs emerged as one of the biggest stars in the game in 2021 when he recorded a league-leading 11 interceptions. By 2023, the Cowboys decided to sign Diggs to an extension, agreeing to a five-year, $97 million deal.

Since that contract was signed, Diggs has played in just 21 games over the past three seasons. The Cowboys didn't get what they expected out of that deal, and they're not completely off the hook just yet.

What is the dead money for the Dallas Cowboys after releasing Trevon Diggs

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs reacts following a play against the Los Angeles Chargers. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Diggs has $531,045 left on his deal in 2025, but his release will account for a dead cap hit of $12 million. That's not a concern since there's just one game left to play in the season, but what about in 2026?

According to Spotrac, the Cowboys will have some savings next year. Cutting Diggs opens up $12 million, but will be offset by $5.88 million of dead money. That's still slightly more than $6 million they will save by making this move.

The #Cowboys have waived CB Trevon Diggs with a remaining contract of:

2025: $531,045
2026: $15.5M (non-gtd)
2027: $20.5M (non-gtd)
2028: $21M (non-gtd)

Assuming he clears, Dallas will be on the hook for dead cap hits of:
2025: $12M
2026: $5.88M ($12.5M saved)
— Spotrac (@spotrac) December 30, 2025

The real positive for Dallas is that Diggs has no more guaranteed money on his deal. While it's frustrating for both sides to know he was unable to play much over the past three seasons, the Cowboys will at least get out of this deal without being heavily penalized on the cap.

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