Salary cap impact, future at CB and more

The tumultuous relationship between the Cowboys and cornerback Trevon Diggs came to an end on Tuesday when the team decided to waive the two-time Pro Bowler with less than a week in the season. Diggs played in eight games this season, including the win over Washington last Thursday. He played in 21 games across three seasons after signing a five-year, $97 million extension in July 2023.

Hard to believe that anyone could’ve imagined this is how it would end — on a Tuesday prior to the 2025 season finale — when Diggs signed that extension.

There are bound to be a lot of questions about the move. Let’s answer some.

Why now?

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Make no mistake about it: a divorce between the Cowboys and Diggs has felt inevitable for quite some time. A person familiar with the Cowboys’ thinking told The Dallas Morning News the decision was a culmination of many things that transpired over their time together and not one single act (more on that later). It was shocking, however, that they decided to waive him on Tuesday, especially because the Cowboys had a chance just two games ago to let Diggs go on injured reserve for the entire season. Instead, the Cowboys activated him before his 21-day window closed, giving him the chance to play two final games with the Cowboys.

The timing of the move allows Diggs to seek a new job before the end of the season. He’ll go through the waiver claim process next. If a team claims him, then they’ll inherit the $472,222 game check compensation he’s due for the final week of the season. If he clears waivers, then Diggs can choose to sign with any team. Could a playoff team needing cornerback depth sign him? We’ll see.

The move also allows the Cowboys to embrace life after Diggs now, rather than later. That includes getting one more look at some potential corners for next season. Rookie corner Shavon Revel has had an up-and-down start to his career. He suffered a concussion on Thursday, but could return for Week 18 with some extra time between games. Second-year corner Caelen Carson has only played in 13 games since he was drafted last year. He was inactive the last two games. The Cowboys could activate him with the hopes of seeing more.

Diggs was the only player who didn’t fly back with the team after the Christmas Day win against Washington, another person familiar with the situation told The News. It’s worth noting that he is a Maryland native.

What are the salary cap implications?

Diggs’ financial impact will linger with the Cowboys, but it’ll be reduced. Diggs’ cap hit for 2026 will be reduced from $18.4 million to $5.9 million in dead money, a savings of $12.5 million.

What went wrong off the field?

The relationship between the Cowboys and Diggs has progressively gotten worse. Differences in opinion escalated this offseason when Diggs elected to recover from last year’s season-ending surgery away from the team and in Florida. The decision to spend that much time away from the team, according to his contract with the Cowboys, triggered a de-escalator in his deal that ultimately cost him $500,000.

The decision also sparked Diggs to become a main talking point for owner Jerry Jones at his opening training camp news conference. Jones said then that certain responsibilities come with being paid as much money as they paid Diggs. He wanted Diggs to be more of a leader. Jones even hinted during that news conference that he regretted extending Diggs when they did for as much as they did.

Diggs started the season with the Cowboys but was sidelined in October when he suffered an at-home concussion. Details weren’t available until recently, when Diggs said that he was hit in the head while mounting a television. Diggs was then added to injured reserve before he could return from the concussion as he dealt with a knee injury. There was skepticism about whether the Cowboys would actually activate him again, or let his 21-day window close, forcing him to revert to injured reserve for the rest of the season. He was eventually activated on Dec. 21, just before his window closed. He played on Christmas and then was released less than a week later.

What went wrong on the field?

There was a difference in Diggs before his 2023 season-ending knee injury and after. Before, Diggs was an interception machine for the Cowboys. He had 18 interceptions in his first 47 games, including 11 in 2021. After the injury, however, he only had one interception and played in 19 games.

A change in scheme also likely played a factor. Diggs was vocal this season about wanting to run more man coverage. He even expressed those views to defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus. Still, the Cowboys were limited in how often they ran man coverage this season. Zone, ultimately, didn’t feel like a fit for Diggs.

What does this mean for the future of the Cowboys cornerbacks room?

Cornerback was already a need for the Cowboys heading into this offseason. That’s even more true now. The Cowboys will likely have to add multiple corners. There aren’t a lot of big-name corner free agents, so a combination of affordable veterans and a high draft pick could be the best way to fill those needs.

Some potential draft candidates include Tennessee’s Jermod McCoy, Clemson’s Avieon Terrell, South Carolina’s Brandon Cisse, LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Arizona State’s Keith Abney II, among many more.

Staff Writer Calvin Watkins contributed to this report.

Salary cap impact, future at CB and more

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