Tensions flared during the holiday season.
A spat with head coach Brian Schottenheimer over Christmas travel plans seemingly served as the final straw for veteran cornerback Trevon Diggs, who was waived from the Dallas Cowboys Tuesday afternoon.
While not confirmed to be the catalyst for his release, the Fort Worth Star-Telegram reported that Diggs, 27, directly defied orders by staying back in Maryland with his family after the team’s Christmas Day win over the Washington Commanders in D.C.
The two-time Pro Bowler first requested to spend extra time with his loved ones to the Cowboys head coach, who promptly shut down the idea — even though Diggs went through proper channels and explained that he’d be on the next flight out to rejoin the team in Dallas.
“We fly out as a team. We fly back as a team. Period,” a team source told the local news outlet.
Diggs reportedly protested the decision, refusing to board the team plane back to Dallas and remained in Maryland for the holiday weekend.
He provided his side of the story Wednesday morning, telling NFL Network’s Jane Slater that he stuck around to both visit his family and attend a Friday concert performed by his best friend from back home.
Trevon Diggs tells me he did stay back with family for Christmas and did attend the concert.
Both can be true.
He says he never lied about what he was doing or where he was and sent me plenty of time stamps and IG lives. See below.
The concert was Friday at 11pm and the… pic.twitter.com/g7ola5MtnZ
— Jane Slater (@SlaterNFL) December 31, 2025
Additionally, according to longtime Cowboys writer Clarence Hill Jr., many coaches and players “got away from Dallas” after returning home — including Schottenheimer, who took a ski trip to Wyoming with his family.
Regardless, Diggs’ choice to stay back without flying back to Texas first seemed to pour gasoline on an already contentious relationship.
The former star cornerback has struggled since signing a five-year, $97 million contract extension with the Cowboys ahead of the 2023 season.
Hampered by injuries, he had played just 19 of 47 possible games since signing, while showing significant signs of decline when on the field.
A splinter seemingly forged between Diggs and the organization this offseason when — following a season-ending knee injury in 2024 — he rehabbed in Florida rather than in the team facility.
After Diggs failed to participate in at least 84 percent of the team’s offseason program, the Cowboys enforced a $500,000 de-escalator clause in his contract, reducing his 2025 salary to $8.5 million.
Following his release, Dallas will face a dead salary cap hit of $5.88 million in 2026 and save $12.5 million in salary cap efforts for next season.
The Cowboys won’t owe Diggs any guaranteed money beyond 2025.
If unclaimed on waivers, he would hit the market as a free agent.
Diggs’ release came within hours of his brother, Patriots star receiver Stefon Diggs, getting arrested Tuesday and accused of attacking a female employee.
Schottenheimer will likely make his first public comments about Trevon’s release Wednesday afternoon.
