FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys provided the NFL world with a year-end shocker on Tuesday, officially waiving star cornerback Trevon Diggs just one game before the conclusion of the 2025 season. While Diggs’ health has been a recurring headline, new details suggest his release was the result of a “perfect storm” of performance issues, trust gaps regarding his rehabilitation, and a final heated dispute with the coaching staff.
The decision to part ways with the 27-year-old—who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021—was described by team insiders as a “culmination of multiple factors.” Diggs has struggled significantly to regain his elite form following a 2023 ACL tear and subsequent knee procedures in 2024 and 2025. During the eight games he appeared in this season, opposing quarterbacks posted a perfect 158.3 passer rating when targeting him, a staggering fall for a player once regarded as a premier “shutdown” corner.
However, the “new details” emerging from the Star in Frisco point to deeper friction beyond the box score.
The ‘TV Mount’ Mystery and Rehab Rifts Much of the internal frustration reportedly centered on a bizarre “at-home accident” in October that left Diggs with a concussion and forced him to miss eight games. Diggs eventually revealed he was struck in the head by a mounting pole while attempting to install a television. This incident followed an offseason where Diggs and the team were already at odds over his decision to rehab with private medical personnel in Florida rather than at the Cowboys’ facilities—a move that cost him a $500,000 workout bonus.
The Final Straw: A Holiday Travel Dispute According to multiple reports, including insights from NFL insider Jordan Schultz, the relationship reached a breaking point following the Cowboys’ Christmas Day game against the Washington Commanders. Diggs, a Maryland native, reportedly requested to stay in the D.C. area to spend the holiday with his family, given that players had several days off.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer reportedly denied the request twice, insisting Diggs return to Dallas with the team. The resulting friction, combined with Diggs’ vocal frustration over being on a “pitch count” earlier in the month, led the front office to decide that a “clean break” was better than enduring one more week of tension.
Financial Implications By waiving Diggs now, the Cowboys avoid paying his $14.5 million non-guaranteed salary for 2026. If he clears waivers—which is likely given that any claiming team would be on the hook for his final game check—he will become a free agent ahead of the playoffs.
As the Cowboys (7-8-1) prepare for their finale against the Giants, the era of the “ball-hawking” Diggs in Dallas ends not with a highlight reel, but with a sobering lesson on the fragility of NFL stardom.
