FRISCO — Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer believes some decisions are worth explaining to his team. The decision to trade star pass rusher Micah Parsons right before the start of the season, for example, required an explanation.
The decision to waive Trevon Diggs days before the end of his first season as an NFL head coach spoke for itself, he believed.
Schottenheimer fielded questions about waiving Diggs, who had been with the team since 2020 and still had three years left on a $97 million extension he signed before the 2023 season. The decision, Schottenheimer said, wasn’t one made lightly. He understood that it could have repercussions — from a locker room perspective and how it affects the culture he’s fixated on building since he became the head coach last offseason. When it ultimately came to the reasoning, he reiterated over and over again why.
“It was really a culmination of multiple factors: performance, other elements,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s been an incredible player for this organization and I really do — I really do, I truly do, [because] I like Trevon a lot — wish him nothing but the best.”
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As for why it happened now, there seemingly was a final straw in a relationship that had plenty of ups and downs over the course of the last year. Schottenheimer confirmed after the Christmas Day win over the Washington Commanders that he was approached by Diggs during the team celebration. Diggs, a Maryland native, asked Schottenheimer if he could stay in the D.C. area instead of returning with the team back to Texas. Schottenheimer said he denied that request, as he did with other players who also requested to find their own travel arrangements home.
“I explained to him the protocol, which has always been the protocol: we go up as a team, and we come back as a team,” Schottenheimer said, adding later that the only exception to that rule is a family emergency. “He decided to make a different decision.”
After the weekend, the Cowboys decided to move on from Diggs. And while the timing of the release would suggest, at the very least, a straw and broken-back-camel situation, Schottenheimer was adamant that Diggs’ release was more than that.
“It was not the only factor,” he 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.”
Diggs posted a thank you to the Cowboys on social media on Wednesday.
“I want to thank the Dallas Cowboys organization for the opportunity they gave me and for changing my life, both on and off the field. I’ll always be grateful for what my time here meant for me and my family,” he wrote on Instagram. “I want to thank all the coaches and staff who believed in me, pushed me, and helped me grow as a player and as a man. I’m thankful for the relationships and brotherhood I built in that locker room- those bonds will always mean a lot to me. With that said, I’m excited for a new journey and a fresh start. I’m motivated, focused, and ready for what’s next.”
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Schottenheimer also said he hopes Diggs finds success moving forward. He said he hopes Diggs can find a permanent home soon, considering that Dallas wasn’t going to be his anymore. This past season made that reality an inevitability. Diggs’ decision to rehab from season-ending knee surgery away from the facility triggered a de-escalation clause in his contract that cost him $500,000 before the season even began. It also sparked the criticism of Cowboys management, including team owner Jerry Jones, who insinuated at the opening news conference of training camp in Oxnard, Calif., that he regretted signing Diggs to the extension he signed in 2023.
Things didn’t get better this season. Off the field, Diggs had a concussion at home and lingering knee issues that ultimately forced him to miss eight games. On the field, the results weren’t much better. Diggs — as did the entire defense — struggled. Diggs made it evident that he wanted to play more man coverage — a contrarian concept to defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ zone system. Schottenheimer said performance was a factor in the decision to waive Diggs, but he cautioned Diggs’ adjustment to Eberflus’ system as one of those causes.
“I don’t want to question Trevon. None of us have played well or coached well enough on defense at times this year,” Schottenheimer said. “I think your job, when you play in the National Football League, whether you call a run or a pass on offense, or you call zone or man, is do your job. That’s coaching, that’s playing.”
That’s also part of the culture Schottenheimer wants to create. He wants mutual accountability. He said multiple times Wednesday that his door is open for players who have any questions about Diggs’ release. He wants consistency, which is something that 15-20 players on the team, like quarterback Dak Prescott and defensive end Jadeveon Clowney for example, personify.
“That’s cool for the younger players to draw from,” he said.
Conversely, without saying it explicitly, Schottenheimer probably wants Tuesday’s decision to waive Diggs to be something other players could learn from, too.
Briefly: Schottenheimer said rookie corner Shavon Revel Jr. is still in concussion protocol, but he’s progressing. The extra time from Thursday’s concussion should give him a chance to play Sunday in New York. Schottenheimer also pointed to second-year corner Caelen Carson and rookie Trikweze Bridges as other guys who could step up in Diggs’ absence.
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