Report: Dallas Cowboys enforce $500,000 salary reduction for Trevon Diggs after violating workout clause

Trevon Diggs is a few hours away from making his season debut tonight, with the Dallas Cowboys kicking off their season at Philadelphia. However, before he does, Dallas is enforcing a pay cut on his contract based on this offseason.

Per Calvin Watkins at The Dallas Morning News, the Cowboys have cut $500,000 from Diggs’ deal, which reduces his salary for this season to $8.5 million. That’s after he, coming off knee issues, didn’t participate in 84% or more of the Cowboys’ offseason workouts, with this clause being in multiple deals across their roster.

“The Dallas Cowboys have enforced the workout clause to reduce cornerback Trevon Diggs’ salary by $500,000, a person with knowledge of the contract told The Dallas Morning News,” Watkins wrote. “Diggs was hopeful the Cowboys wouldn’t enact the clause in his contract that strips him of $500,000 if he didn’t work out at least 84% of the time in the offseason, but his base salary has been reduced to $8.5 million.

“The Cowboys were irked that Diggs didn’t work out more at The Star. Diggs said during training camp that he wasn’t happy about the salary reduction but admitted he must follow the rules.”

Diggs has been dealing with knee issues since tearing his ACL in 2023. Further complications with that knee then caused him to miss the end of last season as he had another surgery earlier this year on it. Diggs spent the offseason rehabbing it, some on his own and some with the team, ahead of a return for this season with Dallas.

With that, Diggs is set to return tonight for the Cowboys’ opener against the Eagles in Philly. It may be a limited appearance as far as snaps, though, coming out of training camp despite coming off the injury report.

Diggs, a second-round pick in 2020, has made 58 appearances in the Cowboys’ secondary during his pro career. He has posted 215 tackles, 63 deflections, 20 interceptions with two pick-sixes, and two forced fumbles with a recovery.

Diggs had a career-best season in 2021, where Diggs, a First Team All-Pro and Pro Bowler at corner, led the league in interceptions with over half of his career total with 11, including both of his pick-sixes. However, Diggs hasn’t fully lived up to that level since, with the knee issues contributing to that.

Diggs will be back in Dallas’ lineup tonight after two seasons where he dealt with season-ending injuries to his knee. It’ll just be at a reduced rate with this reported decision on his contract by the Cowboys.