Trevon Diggs released by Dallas Cowboys days before season finale
The Dallas Cowboys have released former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, according to multiple reports and confirmed to the Star-Telegram. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Diggs will immediately go on waivers, where any team can claim him for the next 24 hours. If he clears waivers, he is free to sign with any team.
After signing Diggs to a five-year, $97 million extension in August 2023, it has been all downhill for the 2021 All-Pro and NFL leader in interceptions. Just two weeks into the 2023 season, Diggs tore his ACL in a practice in Frisco and missed the remainder of the season. One year later, he played in 11 games before having to be shut down because of an issue in the same knee. He would then need to have offseason surgery that kept him out of the entirety of the offseason and training camp.
During the offseason, he elected to train on his own in Miami away from the team facility. Because of a stipulation in his contract that stated he had to be present for at least 84 percent of offseason activities, Diggs was docked $500,000 of his 2025 salary, a move that caused friction between Diggs and the front office.
Although he made it back onto the field in time for Week 1 of the 2025 season, his performance had declined. In eight games, he failed to record an interception or a pass deflection — a first in his six-year career. Then, an at-home accident that resulted in a concussion put Diggs further into the proverbial doghouse. He landed on the injured reserve list shortly after with knee soreness and returned for two games before being released.
As a result of the release, the Cowboys will take on a dead salary cap hit of $5.88 million in 2026 and save $12.5 million toward salary cap efforts next season. With no guaranteed money left on his contract, the Cowboys are no longer on the hook for any additional money after 2026.
The timing of the move is certainly notable with the Cowboys still having one game left on the schedule against the New York Giants on Sunday. However, the move allows Diggs to join a team playing in the playoffs — such as the Chicago Bears, who have his former defensive backs coach, Al Harris, or the New England Patriots, who have his brother, wide receiver Stefon Diggs. The move is similar to the one they made in 2024 when running back Ezekiel Elliott was released days before the season finale.
Since being drafted in the second round in 2020, Diggs played in 66 career games for the franchise with 20 interceptions and 63 pass deflections. His 11 interceptions in 2021 tied a franchise record (Everson Walls, 1981) for the most in a season.
Diggs went against team order in Washington
While it’s undetermined if this was directly linked to Tuesday’s release, another point of friction between Diggs and the team arrived over the weekend when Diggs requested to stay back in Maryland -- where he is from and where his family resides -- after the team’s game against the Washington Commanders on Christmas Day.
The request was made directly to head coach Brian Schottenheimer after the game, but it was denied. Diggs said he would’ve had to fly right back out to Maryland when the team came back to Dallas, but as it was laid out from a team source: “We fly out as a team. We fly back as a team. Period.”
Diggs went against the request denial and refused to board the team plane back to Dallas, remaining in Maryland for the Christmas weekend. Schottenheimer will have his first chance at public comments on the issue on Wednesday afternoon.
This story was originally published December 30, 2025 at 1:04 PM.
