On an otherwise unassuming Tuesday afternoon, the Dallas Cowboys decided to make themselves the center of the NFL conversation by releasing two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs before their Week 18 finale against the New York Giants.
Now on the surface, this was the most shocking – or at least second-most shocking – roster move of the year for Dallas, as Diggs was a major focal point of the team's last playoff roster and just signed a nearly $100 million contract back in 2023.
And yet, from a purely financial perspective, the deal does make some sense, as Diggs would have been owed $14.5 million in 2026, even if he doesn't have any guaranteed money left on the books. The Cowboys could have kept him around, had that money on their books in paper, not pen, and hoped that they secured the next great cornerback in free agency or the 2026 NFL Draft. Instead, they decided to make things interesting now, get some free promotion, and know definitively that Diggs is gone no matter what, with the Jones family able to plan accordingly as a result.
With the Cowboys now turning their attention to player evaluation in Week 18, with players like Trikweze Bridges, Caelen Carson, and Shavon Revel all likely to get some snaps if healthy, playoff-bound teams around the NFL suddenly find themselves with a potential starting-caliber cornerback who can take the field immediately for the taking, assuming he passes through waivers unclaimed.
Could some eliminated team with a fondness for Diggs make things interesting? Sure, Diggs had his best seasons under Dan Quinn, and as a Delmarva native, the Washington Commanders might be tempted to see what he can do in burgundy and gold long-term. But if he does land on a playoff team, there's one that needs him more than most, as at this point, they would likely take just about any cornerback who can keep up with an opposing wide receiver on the outside in a pinch.
The Green Bay Packers need to get into the Trevon Diggs business
At the beginning of the season, the Green Bay Packers looked okay at cornerback.
Sure, they said goodbye to Jaire Alexander, a former Pro Bowler in their system, but between two-time Pro Bowler Keisean Nixon, Carrington Valentine, and second-year slot Javon Bullard, the Packers looked like they had enough firepower to hold things down, especially with interception machine Xavier McKinney at free safety.
Heading into Week 18, the Packers still have Nixon, Valentine, and Bullard, but they lost Kamal Hadden for the season in Week 17, and may be without Nate Hobbs as well, depending on how he recovers from an injury of his own.
Is Diggs better than Nixon at this stage of the game? It's hard to say, but he's certainly better than Valentine and has the potential to give defensive coordinator Jeff Hafley optionality should he slot in at one of the outside cornerback spots.
Diggs also has an inside track with the Packers, even if they won't share the field again this season, in the form of Micah Parsons, another former Cowboys All-Pro who ended up in Green Bay this season following some questionable decisions by the Jones family. In Dallas, Diggs and Parsons were known to be good friends, and the duo really worked well together as elite performers at their respective positions. Even if Parsons isn't healthy enough to play again for the remainder of the season, and may even miss some time in the preseason next year, depending on his recovery timeline, he does know Hafley's playbook, the team's terminology, and would likely be willing to help his once and potential future teammate get his sea legs under him on short notice.
Should the Packers either land Diggs on waivers or convince him to sign as a free agent if no one does, the Parsons of it all could end up being a deciding factor in Green Bay winning the sweepstakes, especially considering the duo now share an agent.
Could the Packers get by without Diggs? Sure, if they stay healthy, Green Bay's secondary is still pretty good, and in Week 17, it was their run defense that really failed them against the Baltimore Ravens. But if the Packers decides that pretty good isn't good enough, especially for a team that could end up with some very tough matchups on the way to the Super Bowl, then getting into the Travon Diggs business could be the difference between an early exit from the playoffs and a deep run into Febuary as they pursue the ultimate honor of bringing a Lombardi Trophy back to Lambeau Field.
