Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs rehabbing away from team during OTAs
For the second offseason in a row, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs is recovering from a season-ending knee injury that has kept him away from instructional on-field work. Unlike in 2024 when he was rehabbing from a torn ACL, Diggs has decided to be out of the facility entirely in 2025, opting instead to rehab with his own self-chosen specialists.
Diggs, who had a knee bone chondral procedure done in January after missing six of the final seven games of the 2024 season, has been in Miami during the team’s voluntary offseason team activity (OTA) period.
“I think everybody now has their own people that they use,” head coach Brian Schottenheimer said. “It’s kinda the day and age of football. But again, it’s all voluntary. He’s been in great communication. We’ve been in contact with his doctor, his rehab people down there.”
A check-in on his progress at the facility two weeks ago saw Diggs make an appearance back in the building, but he has been otherwise away.
In 2024, a Star-Telegram team source said that Diggs and the training staff didn’t agree on certain parts of his rehab and it caused friction between the two sides. One year later, he has opted to work with his own people instead.
“I have a lot of hope that his actual rehab and experience from the time before [in 2024] is really helping him out,” owner Jerry Jones said in late April. “He’s working hard. That’s very important, because if he will be very good and diligent as to his rehab process, then he will get back quicker, and he will arrive when he does get back sounder than if he had not worked as hard.”
An ESPN report on Tuesday says that Diggs risks a $500,000 de-escalator in his contract by not being present in the facility during the offseason.
“According to his contract, Diggs needs to take part in 84.375% of the offseason program in order to avoid the $500,000 de-escalator.”
Even if Diggs is in attendance for next week’s mandatory minicamp from June 10-12, he will not meet the attendance requirement set in his contract that he signed in August 2023.
“Our preference is always to have him here,” executive vice president Stephen Jones said on Tuesday. “We’re huge fans with what [the training staff] does with him. But at the same time, it’s his choice. Our understanding is that he’s getting the work done, and he’ll be back in and we’ll get a good look at him next week.”
The expectation is that Diggs will return to the field early during the 2025 season, although he could begin the campaign on the physically unable to perform (PUP) list. The team expects to have more clarity on the timeline of his return when they get to Oxnard, Calif. for training camp in late July.
This story was originally published June 4, 2025 at 1:26 PM.
