Trevon Diggs was never going to be back with the Dallas Cowboys in 2026, but it still came as a surprise when he was released on Tuesday. There is only one game left in the season, and Dallas could have tried to trade him -- likely to no avail -- had they waited until the offseason.
It turns out, one final incident involving Diggs compelled the front office to pull the plug. Per reports, Diggs asked to stay in D.C. after the Cowboys' Christmas Day win over the Commanders.
A Maryland native, Diggs has family in the area and asked to stay behind so he didn't have to fly back after the team landed in Dallas. Sticking to the business-trip mentality, Brian Schottenheimer denied the request and instructed Diggs to return with his teammates. Diggs did not oblige and chose not to fly back with the team.
At first glance, the situation didn't reflect well on Schottenheimer, but Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram clarified that Diggs didn't make his request to stay behind until after the game. That put Schottenheimer in a difficult position, as Harris noted that teams have a quick turnaround to leave visiting stadiums and head to the airport.
Regarding the “Trevon Diggs stayed in D.C. issue”:
— Nick Harris (@NickHarrisFWST) December 30, 2025
He requested to stay in DC to Brian Schottenheimer after the game. It was not granted. (Of note: Teams only have about an hour to get out of the stadium after away games. Every second counts.)
“We fly out as a team. We fly…
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The timing of Diggs' request changes everything. If he had gone through the proper channels ahead of time, Cowboys fans might have sided with him. After all, making arrangements to spend more time with family during the holidays is hardly a tall ask. That it was done last minute makes it hard to defend.
“We fly out as a team. We fly back as a team," goes back to the culture Schottenheimer is building. A lot of folks will roll their eyes at that, but what kind of message would it have sent if Schotteneheimer allowed Diggs, who had been a distraction all season, not to fly back with his teammates?
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While it would've inconvenienced Diggs to have to fly back to Maryland, you can't disobey your head coach. That goes for any player, and Diggs was already skating on thin ice.
It goes without saying, but Schottenheimer is a genuinely good dude. He’s the definition of a players’ coach, and he's worked hard to establish a strong culture that has eluded the Cowboys. His refusal wasn’t about flexing authority. Coaches take the business-trip mentality seriously.
Schottenheimer may have had a different answer if Diggs approached him beforehand, but the Cowboys were up against the clock, and the last-minute request may have created some logistical hurdles.
It certainly didn’t help that Diggs has been a one-man distraction all season and only recently worked his way out of Schottenheimer’s doghouse.