Report: Dispute between Trevon Diggs, Brian Schottenheimer led to Cowboys CB's release

In a stunning move, the Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs. His release comes ahead of the team’s regular season finale against the New York Giants.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the release didn’t stem from one particular incident. Multiple factors played a role in the decision to cut ties with Diggs, “including both performance and other elements.” NFL insider Jordan Schultz provided additional details of what led to Diggs’ release.

The Cowboys were in Washington, D.C. on Christmas Day, facing off against the Washington Commanders. Diggs, who grew up near the D.C. area, wanted to stay behind after the game to spend time with his family over the holidays. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer denied the request.

Diggs told Schottenheimer he wanted to be with his family and if he went back with the team to Dallas, he would be flying back to D.C. on the first flight out. Again, the team “vehemently denied his request.” The Cowboys decided to cut ties with Diggs on Tuesday. Diggs is healthy and wants to join a team for the postseason.

Trevon Diggs released from Cowboys, looking for next opportunity

Diggs, Dallas’ 2020 second-round selection out of Alabama, flashed a rookie before excelling in year two. That season, he led the NFL with 11 interceptions and was named a first-team All-Pro selection. After another Pro Bowl campaign in 2022, Dallas made a major investment in Diggs, signing him to a five-year, $97 million extension.

Since then, Diggs has played in just 21 games. Diggs tore his ACL just two games into the 2023 season. He returned the following season, playing in 11 games. He underwent another season-ending knee surgery last December.

This season, Diggs has only been on the field for eight games. He missed over two months of time with a concussion before returning to play in the Cowboys’ last two games. That concussion and how it happened has been a hot topic of discussion over the last couple of months. Earlier this month, Diggs finally revealed his side of the story.

Diggs clarified that he suffered the concussion while trying to mount a television to the ceiling with a pole mount. The mount apparatus fell on his head, causing the concussion. He shared video of the setup with reporter Jane Slater in an attempt to quiet some of the speculation about how it could have happened. According to Slater, Diggs said he “didn’t think it was going to be a big deal and didn’t need to be addressed, but speculation on the Internet went way too far.”

Diggs will go through the waiver process and if unclaimed, will become a free agent. Any team claiming Diggs would be responsible for his remaining $472,222 guaranteed game check this season.