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 when they’re here. Now, obviously, with the league rules, there are certain things that are mandatory and certain things that aren’t. But one thing we can do, which we’ll continue to do, is put in every player’s contract, especially guys that we pay significant amounts of money, we expect leadership, and we expect them to be here. Certainly, we addressed that with Diggs. He certainly paid a price for not being here. But, we’re paying a price, too, because we felt like he might be further along had he done his rehab here,” Jones said in an interview on 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday.

“He may differ with that, but had he done his rehab here, we feel strongly that he might be further along. That’s in the best interest of the team and the organization and comes with getting a big contract, which he received.”

Last week, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed that the team was justified in stripping Diggs of the future earnings, as it was “in his contract” to rehab at team headquarters. 

Diggs totaled two interceptions, 11 passes defended and 42 combined tackles in 11 games last season; he missed two games due to a groin injury and four games due to a knee injury, which will likely keep the defensive back off the field to begin the 2025 NFL season.

Diggs ranked 55th among NFL cornerbacks with a 60.0 pass-rush grade, 121st with a 60.3 coverage grade, 145th with a 56.6 coverage grade and 206th with a 43.9 run-defense grade, according to Pro Football Focus.

Diggs, a 2021 All-Pro and two-time Pro Bowler, is entering the second season of a five-year, $97 million deal. In 2021, Diggs reeled in an NFL-high 11 interceptions, running back two of the picks for a touchdown.

As for other money-related matters, the Cowboys are yet to gain traction on an extension with superstar defensive end and two-time All-Pro Micah Parsons, who’s entering the final season of his rookie deal.

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