Viewed as a clear release candidate in 2026, Trevon Diggs will instead become available earlier. The Cowboys are waiving him ahead of Week 18, ESPN’s Todd Archer reports.
This exit comes barely two years after Diggs signed a five-year, $97MM extension. Knee injuries have significantly limited the former All-Pro on this deal. Diggs has played in just eight games this season, bouncing in and out of Dallas’ lineup. That said, he played 100% of the team’s defensive snaps during a Week 17 win over Washington.
[RELATED: Latest On Dispute Between Diggs, Cowboys]
A team claiming Diggs would be responsible for his final 2025 game check, which NFL.com’s Tom Pelissero notes is worth $473K. No guaranteed money is on the contract following the 2025 season, though the pact runs through 2028. This figure would make a claim worth considering, particularly for contenders who have seen injuries affect their cornerback situations.
If Diggs goes unclaimed by 3pm CT Wednesday, he heads to free agency for the first time. The Cowboys will be tagged with $5.88MM in 2026 dead money due to this cut, per Spotrac. A post-June 1 designation would have only saved the Cowboys $4.25MM in 2026, NFL.com’s Jane Slater notes.
A specific incident is not believed to have prompted the Cowboys to move on early, per Pelissero, who notes a “culmination of factors” led the team to jettison the sixth-year corner now. This relationship has steadily deteriorated. The Cowboys were all but certain to release Diggs following Super Bowl LX, when cap-casualty transactions begin, but they will subtract from an injury-battered CB corps early. Considering the team is without DaRon Bland for the season and saw rookie Shavon Revel suffer a concussion against the Commanders, this is an interesting move. Though, the Cowboys have been eliminated from the playoff race for a bit now.
The Cowboys activated Diggs from IR before their Week 16 game. He had landed on the injured list due to the lingering knee injury along with a concussion. Diggs, 27, had said he was healthy enough to play before the activation. Playing 84% of the Cowboys’ defensive snaps against the Chargers ahead of his full-time role on Christmas, Diggs told Slater he is healthy enough to play and wants to join a playoff team soon.
Diggs had said he was upset after showing what he felt was sufficient form in practice only to be kept in the IR-return window for Week 15. This comment came after a meeting with Brian Schottenheimer. The Cowboys placed Diggs on IR in late October; the concussion he sustained occurred at his home, offering another complication for a player who was once the centerpiece of Dallas’ CB plan.
Although Diggs was ready to go by Week 1 after limited summer participation following knee surgery, he struggled this season and had proven to be a poor fit in Matt Eberflus‘ zone-based defense. But Diggs will not have a chance to redeem himself with the Cowboys, who are expected to fire their first-year DC after the season.
Pro Football Focus ranked the 6-foot-2 defender 80th among qualified corners, but Pro-Football-Reference’s coverage metrics viewed even that as an oversell of the former second-round pick’s performance. As the closest defender in coverage, Diggs has been charged with allowing a 77.3% completion rate and a near-perfect passer rating (157.2) in his eight-game season. While these numbers came on just 22 targets, Diggs did not live up to the extension he signed before the 2023 season.
The Cowboys rewarded Diggs ahead of his contract year, agreeing to the five-year extension during the same summer stretch in which they paid right tackle Terence Steele. Dallas famously delayed paying both Dak Prescott and CeeDee Lamb that summer, leading to windfalls for both players ahead of 2024 contract years. The Prescott and Lamb deals drew criticism regarding delays the Cowboys have become famous for, with the Micah Parsons saga following a similar timeline before the blockbuster trade. While Dallas and Diggs agreed on a long-term extension the organization typically prefers on second contracts, the corner ran into injury trouble almost immediately.
Diggs suffered an ACL tear in a September 2023 practice, finishing that season with just two games played. He has been unable to reestablish his pre-injury form, missing six games last season and eight contests in 2025. Diggs suffered a calf tear in 2024 as well, later being shut down due to another knee surgery. The Cowboys decided to extend Bland this summer, doing so after drafting Revel in Round 3. Those developments pointed to a Diggs exit.
Any team to claim Diggs would have him signed for three more seasons following this campaign, but seeing as he has not come close to living up to the contract, a contender could also submit a claim and then release the corner after the season.
Diggs, however, has shown top form in the past. While developing a reputation for being a gambler in coverage, the Alabama alum intercepted 11 passes in 2021 to lock down first-team All-Pro honors. Diggs’ 11 picks were the most anyone had snared in a season since Everson Walls‘ Cowboys rookie year (1981). Diggs (20 career INTs) also made the Pro Bowl in 2022, cinching up an extension candidacy.
It will be interesting to see if Diggs is claimed or lands anywhere before season’s end. Otherwise, he would have some time to prepare for free agency in 2026. The Cowboys will need to make another cornerback investment before their offseason program, among other moves to upgrade a struggling defense, as the Kaiir Elam trade also did not do much to help their situation this season. After seeing the Cowboys decline his fifth-year option, Elam is due for 2026 free agency.
Quite a day for the Diggs family.
Speaking of brothers … pink powder, pink panther accusations, now the pink slip. Pink diamonds if the Patriots win the SB?
Beat me to it. I’d say that Trevon is likely happier with this outcome, though. He seems to welcome free agency, and probably will do better in a man based scheme than a zone heavy scheme.
Are the related ?
they are brothers yes
Well….the Buccaneers could use him
He can’t b any worse than what they have
Buyer beware…
I would imagine playoff teams will want to add him. Not much risk involved.
Only if they can get him to sign a “shut up” clause.
Niners could use some depth in the secondary … and at every other position on defense. Keep the early cuts coming!
Pending passing a physical.
So if a playoff team claims him can they use him in the playoffs?
Correct
This guy was the most overrated CB in the league. The 11 INTs look great on paper in 2021, but he also gave up over 900 yards receiving and 4 TDs that year. 5 TDs the year before. In only 8 games played this year giving up 4 TDs and a passer rating on balls his way of 157.2.
There is a reason they throw balls his way 80-100 times when he plays a full season which over the last 3 years he has missed nearly 60% of his games.
His rep was created by none other than Mr. Cowboy, Troy Aikman who constantly referred to him as a “star” in the league in 21…..Aikman is the biggest Cowboy homer broadcasting….he’s supposed to be impartial but goes out of his socks referring to anything Diggs and Cowboys related…..he and Buck are the WORST duo on TV……
If you watch any cowboys games Troy is the most critical of them.
Wow…that’s a lie….he’s the biggest homer on national TV that there is…..
Man this guy was the next big thing for a season.
But wait – Stefon was the one who got busted!
Wrong Diggs Jerry!
Welcome to Chicago! An Al Harris / Diggs reunion sounds perfect
Will Al Harris be there next season? He maybe up for a promotion.
Hopefully…. I wouldnt even mind an internal promotion, as I’m not sure Dennis Allen sticks around.
They cut him before he could say he’s injured and not healthy. Smart move by the organization.
I expected this. But I did not expect him to play another game which he did last week. Bad attitude, lazy play. You can put up with that when the player is getting 10 interceptions a year not when you put a 0 on the board.
I’m so glad his time in Dallas is over. It was so painful watching him attempt to cover anybody.
He was entertaining though, trying to get in the way of people he was supposed to tackle. The ole’ James Harden try! When he would tackle, I had to hope for a replay and double take.
Packers desperately need depth and help at CB, I wonder if they would put in a claim. Why not? They might be a snap away from needing to play Bo Melton at CB who’s played nothing but offense and special teams this year
Best landing spots :
Bucs
Jets lol
Raiders lol
Colts
Bills
Good riddance Trevon, u and your near perfect passing rating against u will not be missed
He’s better than any player on the 49ers defense. Maybe they’ll pick him up
Welcome to Pittsburgh!
I could see him potentially landing in Denver simply to be apart of that defense and attempt grab a ring. It’s doubtful he starts there but I could see him with a pick or two since quarterbacks literally have three seconds pass…
The cancer wasn’t completely removed in DAL. This second surgery should do it! The negative culture two players had effected the defense. Good luck to you both in GB.