Trevon Diggs released by Dallas Cowboys days before season finale – Nick Harris, Fort Worth Star-Telegram
The Dallas Cowboys decided it was best to move on from Trevon Diggs right before their season finale.
The Dallas Cowboys have released former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, according to multiple reports and confirmed to the Star-Telegram. The news was first reported by ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Diggs will immediately go on waivers, where any team can claim him for the next 24 hours. If he clears waivers, he is free to sign with any team.
After signing Diggs to a five-year, $97 million extension in August
2023, it has been all downhill for the 2021 All-Pro and NFL leader in interceptions. Just two weeks into the 2023 season, Diggs tore his ACL in a practice in Frisco and missed the remainder of the season. One year later, he played in 11 games before having to be shut down because of an issue in the same knee. He would then need to have offseason surgery that kept him out of the entirety of the offseason and training camp.
During the offseason, he elected to train on his own in Miami away from the team facility. Because of a stipulation in his contract that stated he had to be present for at least 84 percent of offseason activities, Diggs was docked $500,000 of his 2025 salary, a move that caused friction between Diggs and the front office.
Although he made it back onto the field in time for Week 1 of the 2025 season, his performance had declined. In eight games, he failed to record an interception or a pass deflection — a first in his six-year career. Then, an at-home accident that resulted in a concussion put Diggs further into the proverbial doghouse. He landed on the injured reserve list shortly after with knee soreness and returned for two games before being released.
Will 2026 free agent Jadeveon Clowney be back with Cowboys? – Todd Archer, ESPN
A return to Dallas for Jadeveon Clowney makes sense for both sides.
“I’m just trying to get as much as I can get out of this game,” the defensive end said a few days before the Cowboys beat the Washington Commanders 30-23 on Christmas. “I love to play it. As long as I can do it at a high level, I’ll continue to play. Right now, I feel like I can continue to do it at a high level. I’ve got to take care of my body. I don’t know what next year holds for me, I don’t, but if I can get away from this season the way I’m feeling right now, I probably will be trying to play next year.”
In a season that has been one of the worst defensively in Cowboys history, Clowney (the 2014 first overall pick of the Houston Texans) has been one of the brighter spots.
When owner and general manager Jerry Jones says the Cowboys “have the bones” of a decent defense, he is mostly talking about tackles Quinnen Williams, Kenny Clark and Osa Odighizuwa, plus a healthy DeMarvion Overshown at linebacker. Clowney should be in that mix too, according to Dak Prescott.
“He’s the man,” Prescott said. “We’re fortunate to have him. He’s one of those guys that we’ve got to figure out a way to keep. I know Jadeveon being older, being the vet he is, has a lot of say. So hopefully … he’s enjoyed this year because he’s a guy that we can benefit having for a full offseason.”
In what many would call a meaningless Christmas game, with the Cowboys already knocked out of the playoffs, Clowney had four tackles, 1.5 sacks, three tackles for loss and three quarterback hurries. After nearly tracking down Commanders wide receiver Deebo Samuel on a 41-yard screen pass, Clowney sacked Josh Johnson for an 8-yard loss on Washington’s first possession to force a field goal.
Two Dallas Cowboys icons named finalists for Pro Football Hall of Fame’s 2026 class – Calvin Watkins, Dallas Morning News
Could this finally be the year Darren Woodson gets fitted for a gold jacket?
Jason Witten and Darren Woodson, two of the best Cowboys players in the franchise’s storied history, were named among the 15 Modern Era finalists for the Pro Football Hall of Fame, it was announced Tuesday morning.
The two players join a list that includes five first-time finalists in their first year of eligibility, with notables being quarterback Drew Brees, wide receiver Larry Fitzgerald and running back Frank Gore.
Witten was also named a finalist in his first year of Hall of Fame eligibility. He was named to 10 Pro Bowls and two first-team Associated Press All-Pro teams. The tight end is fourth in league history in catches (1,228) and 21st in yards (13,046).
Woodson, a safety, has been named a finalist the last four years and enters his 18th year of eligibility. A player is eligible for 20 years before getting moved to the Seniors category.
Woodson, the Cowboys’ all-time leading tackler (1,350), was named to the Pro Bowl five times and was a first-team All-Pro four times.
Joining them are four players who reached the final seven of voting last year, and based on the new rules automatically move to the finalists stage the next year: tackle Willie Anderson, receiver Torry Holt, linebacker Luke Kuechly and kicker Adam Vinatieri.
Jerry Jones on future of Cowboys’ defense, George Pickens and more – Tommy Yarrish, DallasCowboys.com
The Cowboys owner has fixing the defense as priority number one when the regular season ends.
Where did Jones think the Cowboys missed on defensive personnel?
Across the board, the Cowboys’ defense fell short of expectations across the board. Jones was asked if there was an area that he felt Dallas missed on from a personnel standpoint.
“Probably the one that I think was the most impactful is that we had a high expectation in our secondary, and I thought we would be good at all phases of it…” Jones said. “The secondary really had issues regarding personnel, time on the field, time at practice. We weren’t ambitious, we knew some of those guys would be getting back [from injury]… I would say that’s the area.”
There was a lot of movement in and out of roles in the secondary this year due to injuries, players returning from major injuries, etc., which was a trend from last season as well. In 2026, the Cowboys certainly hope they can get some more continuity.
Dak will start Sunday, but how much will he play?
Jones reiterated that Dak Prescott will start in Week 18 for the Cowboys against the Giants. That said, he may not be the one to finish the game.
“How we use Dak, where we use him, those kinds of things, let’s just make that a part of the game plan that we won’t talk about.” Jones said.
That means Joe Milton may have a good chance to get the most reps he’s had during his time with the Cowboys, as the previous three games he’s played in this season have only come later when games are already out of hand.
Analyzing the defensive breakdowns, and the future
One way or another, the Cowboys know that they’re going to need change defensively in 2026 and beyond. What that looks like will be discussed as one of the principle points of emphasis this offseason.
“Make no mistake about it, everybody had their finger in what we did out there defensively. Everybody,” Jones said. “And so it’s not just a one man blame at all, and I say that because therein lies what you got to sit down and figure out if what, if anything, you want to change. We’ll get to that pronto…”
“It is rare when you have one coach or one player that is the cause or the solution to the problem. And that’s the main thing I’d like to emphasize. We’re trying to solve the problem.”
Jones ended his interview with a message for Cowboys fans.
“We will get better on defense. I promise you that.” Jones said.
