When the Dallas Cowboys inked Trevon Diggs to a massive five-year, $97 million contract in the summer of 2023, it was hailed as a major win for the star-studded franchise. At the time Diggs’ average annual compensation ranked just fifth at the cornerback position, which was considerably below many market value forecasts.
The former All-Pro had just recently set the league on fire by logging 11 interception in a single season. His ability to go from out-of-phase to in-phase combined with his innate ball skills made him an interception machine in the Cowboys secondary. He was criticized for gambling too often and yielding too many cheap yards, but he more than made up for it with game-changing plays.
Unfortunately, things went poorly from there. Diggs lost majority of the 2023 after suffering a knee injury in Week 3. He would then proceed to miss six more games the following season brining his grand total of games played to just 13 over the course of two seasons. Suddenly the bargain didn’t seem so economical, leading some to wonder if Diggs is on his way out in Dallas.
With a $9 million injury guarantee vesting in March, Diggs’ future is pretty safe for the upcoming season. The Cowboys are already short at the CB position in 2025 since nickel starter Jourdan Lewis left in free agency, so Diggs will likely be given every opportunity to prove his worth this season. The only problem is when will he be cleared to do so and by then will it be too little too late?
The Cowboys have already prepped fans Diggs may not be ready to play at the start of the season. His left knee required offseason surgery called a chondral tissue graft procedure which is described by doctors to be every bit as fun as it sounds. Recovery time is lengthy and contingent on milestones, so his return date is unknown.
To help deal with this Dallas traded with Buffalo for Kaiir Elam, a former first round CB playing on the last year of his rookie contract. It adds an option to the mix but hardly settles the issue. That will likely have to come from the 2025 NFL draft.
With two picks in the top 50, the Cowboys are expected to seriously consider CB as a position to target early. If the Cowboys do indeed pull the trigger, it could signal an end to Diggs. Top 50 CBs are expected to be long-term starters and it’s unlikely Dallas would select a nickel-only CB that high. With DaRon Bland expected to re-sign long-term, ...
