Breaking: Packers Throw Hail Mary, Sign Former All-Pro Trevon Diggs

GREEN BAY, Wis. – The Green Bay Packers are swinging for the fences to bolster their depleted cornerback corps, claiming former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs on Wednesday.

The Cowboys released Diggs on Tuesday, getting out of the final three years of a five-year, $97 million contract extension he signed with Dallas in July 2023.

The Packers will inherit the remaining base salaries – a pro-rated amount of this year’s $8.5 million base salary along with $14.5 million in 2025, $19.5 million in 2027 and $20.0 million in 2028. The Cowboys had to eat the $21.25 million signing bonus.

More likely than not, this will be a two-or-more-week rental and then reassess during the offseason.

The move will be made official on Thursday. The Packers on Wednesday placed cornerback Nate Hobbs and safety Zayne Anderson on injured reserve and announced they have promoted defensive back Johnathan Baldwin and quarterback Clayton Tune from the practice squad.

Diggs would give the Packers 53.

Diggs was one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL a few years ago. In 2021, he led the NFL with 11 interceptions, two of which he returned for touchdowns, and added 21 passes defensed to earn first-team All-Pro. In 2022, he was selected for the Pro Bowl with three interceptions and 14 passes defensed.

If he can get back to anywhere close to that level, he’d provide a tremendous shot in the arm to Green Bay’s secondary.

Keisean Nixon ranks among the NFL leaders in pass breakups but has not been a shutdown player. Carrington Valentine has started alongside Nixon for most of the season but was briefly benched last week against Baltimore, only to re-enter the game when Kamal Hadden suffered an ankle injury.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) intercepts a pass against the Giants in 2021. | Robert Deutsch-Imagn Images

With Hadden and Hobbs (knee) out, the Packers were set to enter Sunday’s game at the Minnesota Vikings with only Nixon, Valentine, receiver-turned-cornerback Bo Melton and practice-squad promotions Jaylin Simpson and Shemar Bartholomew as their cornerbacks.

Injuries have been an issue for Diggs the last three seasons. In 2023, he played in only two games due to a torn ACL sustained at practice. He played in 11 games with two interceptions and 11 passes defensed in 2024 and zero interceptions or passes defensed in eight games (six starts) in 2025, when he missed time with a concussion and injured right knee.

According to Pro Football Focus, 93 cornerbacks have played at least 250 coverage snaps this season. Diggs ranks:

93rd with a 158.3 passer rating allowed. That’s the maximum.

93rd with 17.9 yards allowed per catch. That’s the worst by a whopping 2.3 yards.

88th with an 80.0 percent completion rate allowed, with 16 catches in 20 targets.

12th with 15.5 coverage snaps allowed per reception.

Diggs played the last two games, allowing 4-of-4 passing for 43 yards against the Chargers in Week 16 and 1-of-1 passing for 27 yards against the Commanders in Week 17.

“It was one of many factors, it was not the only factor,” Schottenheimer said. “I’m not the Grinch that stole Christmas. I love Christmas, I love my family. But, at the end of the day, we have a protocol that we go through and the process was not followed.”

He did not return home to Dallas after the game.

“It was a culmination of multiple factors,” Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer explained of Diggs’ release. “Performance, other elements. He’s been an incredible player for this organization, and I really do, I truly do like Trevon a lot, I wish him nothing but the best and I'm excited to see where he lands and watch him continue his career.”

Green Bay Packers defensive end Micah Parsons (1) and Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs (7) exchange jerseys. | Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

The Packers will hope that a change of scenery will mean a change of fortunes for Diggs, whose best football was played alongside his former and current teammate, Micah Parsons.

Parsons, of course, is out for the season with a torn ACL.

After the game against Dallas, one in which Diggs allowed only one catch and it was for minus-3 yards, Parsons and Diggs traded jerseys.

“I was, like, without a doubt that I was going to give him my jersey and he was going to get mine. That’s my brother for life,” Parsons said. “He knows that I love him beyond football. I love him for the person he is. So, you know, we’re forever locked in and we’re ever going to be inked together.”

Parsons immediately chimed in on X.

We’re back …. 🫡
— Micah Parsons (@MicahhParsons11) December 31, 2025

At Alabama, Diggs played safety and receiver as a freshman. Entering his sophomore year, then-coach Nick Saban suggested Diggs move to cornerback.

He ranked among the SEC leaders in passes defensed as a junior before a season-ending foot injury. As a senior, he intercepted three passes and had eight additional breakups to earn some All-American honors. According to PFF, he allowed just 8-of-29 on passes 10-plus yards downfield.

“I can tell what the receiver’s doing by where he’s lined up,” Diggs said before being a second-round draft choice in 2020. “I know the whole route tree. I know how many steps it takes to get into a route. I know what foot they put up when they try to run their routes. There’s little things I know that I can pick up on quicker.”

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