Cowboys COO Stephen Jones on Trevon Diggs Drama: ‘We’re Paying a Price, Too’

Imagine losing $500,000 and not blinking an eye. That’s what Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs did, as the franchise took away $500,000 from his contract earlier this month for rehabbing his knee injury away from team facilities.

Cowboys Chief Operating Officer Stephen Jones doesn’t see an issue with the team’s stance.

“I think a player is much better off training with us than he is somewhere else. I just think the discipline to come in every day [and] do the work is there once they’re right here. Now, clearly, with the league guidelines, there are particular issues which can be necessary and sure issues that are not. However one factor we are able to do, which we’ll proceed to do, is put in each participant’s contract, particularly guys that we pay important quantities of cash, we count on management, and we count on them to be right here. Actually, we addressed that with Diggs. He actually paid a worth for not being right here. However, we’re paying a worth, too, as a result of we felt like he may be additional alongside had he finished his rehab right here,” Jones said in an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday.

“He might differ with that, however had he finished his rehab right here, we really feel strongly that he may be additional alongside. That is in the most effective curiosity of the group and the group and comes with getting an enormous contract, which he obtained.”

Final week, Cowboys proprietor Jerry Jones expressed that the group was justified in stripping Diggs of the longer term earnings, because it was “in his contract” to rehab at group headquarters. 

Diggs totaled two interceptions, 11 passes defended and 42 mixed tackles in 11 video games final season; he missed two video games attributable to a groin damage and 4 video games attributable to a knee damage, which can doubtless maintain the defensive again off the sphere to start the 2025 NFL season.

Diggs ranked fifty fifth amongst NFL cornerbacks with a 60.0 pass-rush grade, 121st with a 60.3 protection grade, 145th with a 56.6 protection grade and 206th with a 43.9 run-defense grade, in line with Professional Soccer Focus.

Diggs, a 2021 All-Professional and two-time Professional Bowler, is coming into the second season of a five-year, $97 million deal. In 2021, Diggs reeled in an NFL-high 11 interceptions, working again two of the picks for a landing.

As for different money-related issues, the Cowboys are but to realize traction on an extension with famous person defensive finish and two-time All-Professional Micah Parsons, who’s coming into the ultimate season of his rookie deal.

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