NFL Insider Shares New Issue That Reportedly Led to Cowboys Releasing Trevon Diggs

The Cowboys on Tuesday released Diggs.

Diggs spent the first six seasons of his career in Dallas. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday released two-time Pro Bowl selection Trevon Diggs just two years after signing him to a $97 million extension. And while the relationship between Diggs and the Cowboys began to fracture after the ink dried on the lucrative contract extension, multiple reports of a new issue that may have pushed an already-tenuous situation to the point of no return emerged shortly after news of his release.

Diggs, according to NFL insider Jordan Schultz and Clarence Hill Jr. of All City DLLS Cowboys, requested to remain in Washington D.C. after the conclusion of Dallas's 30-23 Christmas Day win over the Commanders, given that he has family who resides in the area. But Diggs's request was denied, for it was the Cowboys' desire that he fly back with the team to Dallas and then go to D.C. on his own. So, instead of flying back to Dallas with the team, the Cowboys star ultimately decided to remain in the D.C. area, where he spent time with family and also attended a Shy Glizzy concert the day after Christmas, as confirmed by Jane Slater of NFL Network.

While it may be a stretch to say that this situation directly led to Diggs's release, it was also another situation in which Diggs didn't do what the team wanted him to do. In short, it certainly didn't help.

But there were several events that fractured the relationship to the point where a release was imminent.

Diggs's rehab decision, mysterious at-home injury frustrate Cowboys

Just two months after putting pen to paper on his extension, Diggs tore the ACL in his left knee during practice in the lead-up to Week 3 of the 2023 NFL season, ending his year. Diggs then was able to start the first 10 games of the 2024 season, but it was determined that he needed to have a chondral tissue graft on the same knee in which he tore his ACL, again ending his season early.

What frustrated the Cowboys is that Diggs decided to conduct the brunt of his knee rehab work with a doctor from outside the organization away from the team facility in South Florida. Diggs had a clause in his contract which stated that he needed to conduct at least 84.375% of his offseason program work at the team facility, so his decision to do so away from the team ultimately cost him $500,000.

Diggs appeared in the first six games of the 2025 season, making four starts for Dallas. But in the lead-up to Week 7, Diggs suffered a concussion in an at-home accident when a television mounting pole that he was attempting to install fell on his head. Diggs was then placed on injured reserve, causing him to miss four games. He later said the absence stemmed from a fluid build-up in his right knee.

Before a Week 15 game against the Vikings, Diggs was preparing to play after a two-month absence. But after comments from coach Brian Schottenheimer, who had said that the coaches needed to see “consistency through everything” with Diggs, Dallas opted to keep the star cornerback inactive vs. Minnesota. Diggs said he was “disappointed“ with the team's decision to keep him inactive. After the game, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said that Diggs was not healthy enough to play, despite the Pro Bowl corner stating otherwise.

Diggs had expressed his love for Dallas, an indication he would have liked to remain with the team. Jones, while declining to say anything definitive about Diggs's future, said he was “disappointed” with the star's lack of playing time due to injuries over the past couple of seasons.

In six seasons in Dallas, Diggs tallied 240 tackles, 20 interceptions, two forced fumbles and a pair of defensive touchdowns while being selected to two Pro Bowl teams. Diggs will count as $8.5 million in dead cap money in 2026 but the Cowboys won't owe him any money in 2026.

Diggs, 27, will go through waivers and will then be free to sign with any team as a free agent if he's not claimed.

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