The Dallas Cowboys have not been shy about discussing how important it is for All-Pro defender Trevon Diggs to attack his rehab the right way this time around.
We have seen comments from first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer, as well as Stephen and Jerry Jones, concerning Diggs and his approach to rehabbing injuries several times throughout the offseason. Until Diggs joins the team and the franchise gets an in-person look at him, comments like the ones we have recently seen will continue.
While Diggs has no one to blame but himself if it ultimately comes to this, the possibility that he loses $500,000 from his base salary for the 2025 campaign is becoming all too real.
Trevon Diggs Facing Discipline From Cowboys Over Offseason Plans
According to ESPN's Todd Archer, Diggs must participate in 84.375% of the offseason program to avoid the $500,000 de-escalator that is included in his contract. Diggs is set to earn $9 million in base salary this coming season, but regardless of that number, a fine of that amount will be felt where it matters the most, Diggs' bank account.
Via Archer's report for ESPN, the language in Diggs' contract states players "must rehabilitate such injury as required by and under the supervision of the Club's Head Trainer until such time as full participation in the 'Off-Season Program' can be achieved. Supervised rehabilitation by Player with Club's Head Trainer will count towards Player's 84.375% completion requirement."
Diggs has been in Miami throughout the Cowboys' offseason program to this point. This is where he chose to rehab his knee, which was surgically repaired in January 2025. It is hard to believe that this was a clause that Diggs and his representation were unaware of before this report.
Will this be enough to get Diggs to hop on a plane and join his teammates in Dallas as they prepare for the 2025 campaign? We'll find out soon as Dallas is scheduled to hold its mandatory minicamp from June 10-12. Should Diggs elect to skip this as well, something that would come as a surprise to Stephen Jones, per Archer's report, he would be subject to additional fines for that decision as well.
Should Diggs continue to stay away, the fines will rack up and, per Archer, he could become the first player to see their base salary reduced by $500,000 if the Cowboys were to choose to enforce the clause in the star defender's contract.