The Green Bays bolstered an ailing defensive secondary on Wednesday by claiming cornerback Trevon Diggs off waivers from the Dallas Cowboys, according to multiple media reports.
The Cowboys released the two-time Pro Bowl cornerback on Tuesday. Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer said Wednesday that Diggs was waived for multiple reasons, not just because he didn’t fly home with the team on Christmas after a win over the Washington Commanders. Diggs asked the coach if he could stay in his native Maryland to spend the holiday with family and was denied, then skipped the team flight.
The 27-year-old veteran would become a free agent if he went unclaimed, and any team claiming him would be on the hook for Diggs’ base salary of $472,000 for Week 18, plus $58,823 if he is active for this week’s game, per ESPN.
The playoff-bound Packers are short-handed after placing safety Zayne Anderson (ankle) and cornerback Nate Hobbs (knee) on injured reserve on Wednesday. Safety Johnathan Baldwin was signed from the practice squad to the active roster, and cornerback Tyron Herring was signed to the practice squad. Kamal Hadden (ankle) was placed on IR on Tuesday, and wide receiver Bo Melton moved across the line for more depth at cornerback.
Green Bay coach Matt LaFleur said Wednesday that some starters won’t play on Sunday at Minnesota, which might mean resting starting cornerbacks Keisean Nixon and Carrington Valentine. The Packers (9-6-1) are seeded seventh in the NFC playoffs, and the Vikings (8-8) are out of the playoff race.
Diggs, a second-round pick by Dallas in the 2020 NFL Draft, signed a five-year, $97 million extension in July 2023 — with money guaranteed after this season. Since the signing, he has played in just 21 of a possible 50 games, dealing with multiple injuries.
He sustained a torn ACL in practice two games into the 2023 campaign and missed the rest of the season.
Diggs was activated from the physically unable to perform list in August after missing the final six games of the 2024 season with a left knee injury.
He then landed on injured reserve on Oct. 25, reportedly to address a right knee issue, although he also reportedly suffered a concussion in an “accident at his home” at some point after a Week 6 loss to the Carolina Panthers. Schottenheimer and owner Jerry Jones did not share details of the incident or explain how Diggs was injured.
Diggs returned to action for the Cowboys’ past two games, notching a combined seven tackles in a loss to the Los Angeles Chargers and a win over the Commanders.
Diggs has 25 tackles in eight games (six starts) this season for the Cowboys (7-8-1), whose season ends on the road Sunday against the New York Giants.
In 66 career games (63 starts), Diggs has 20 interceptions, 63 passes defensed and 240 tackles. He was named first-team All-Pro in 2021, when he led the league with 11 interceptions and returned two of them for touchdowns. He made the Pro Bowl in 2021 and 2022.
