Nobody was safe in the Dallas Cowboys' pre-training camp press conference on Monday. While Micah Parsons caught some shrapnel from Jerry Jones, no player took more slings and arrows than Trevon Diggs.
When asked about the decision to enforce the $500,000 de-escalator in Diggs' contract, Jones referenced Diggs' contract and called his leadership into question. If there was any doubt that Diggs was in the doghouse, he absolutely is now.
The front office clearly wants more from the two-time Pro Bowler and how he responds could determine his future with the team. Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram thinks the writing could be on the wall regarding Diggs' future.
"It’s not immediately clear how long it will take for Diggs to make a full recovery and return to the field for the Cowboys, but it seems that he will return with a short leash. Despite having four years left on a nine-figure contract extension he signed in August 2023, the Cowboys could move on from his deal next offseason and save over $15 million," Harris wrote."
Cowboys could be setting the stage to move on from Trevon Diggs
Harris thinks a divorce "could become a reality" if Diggs does not live up to expectations once he returns to the field.
On top of calling out Diggs' leadership, Jones also pushed back on whether paying Diggs and right tackle Terence Steele a year early was the right decision. It was cold-blooded from Jones, especially in regard to Steele, who caught an unnecessary stray, but it marked yet another instance of the 82-year-old shading Diggs in a public setting.
Once viewed as a franchise centerpiece and one of the biggest rising stars in football, Diggs has played just 13 of a possible 34 regular-season games the last two seasons. He has undergone two significant surgeries on his left knee in that span.
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Speaking of Diggs going under the knife, Jerry Jones called out Diggs in April over how he attacked his initial recovery. Jones implied hat Diggs' second knee injury was tied to his lackadaisical, for lack of a better term, ACL rehab. That is when this ordeal started and it has only escalated since.
Diggs is currently the 10th highest-paid cornerback in terms of per-year value at $19.4 million and fifth in total value at $97 million, per Over The Cap. His $21.25 million signing bonus ranks fifth at the position. His cap hits will spike to $18.44 million in 2026 and $24.44 million in 2027.
As Harris noted, the Cowboys can get out of Diggs' contract next year. They can save $15.5 million in cap room if they trade or release Diggs after June 1. They would swallow a palatable $2.94 million in dead money in that scenario. The savings aren't as appealing if a split happens before June 1: $12.55 million in savings with a $5.88 million dead cap charge.
If the relationship becomes fractured beyond repair, there would be a market for Diggs, who turns 27 in September and is established as one of the NFL's premier ballhawks.
The Cowboys could opt to build around DaRon Bland, who's in the final year of his rookie deal, and rookie draftee Shavon Revel Jr., as their top cornerbacks.
Diggs' play will ultimately be the deciding factor in a potential split, but it is easy to envision a world in which this is Diggs' final season with the team given how frustrated the front office is with the former second-round pick.