Jerry Jones Talks Trevon Diggs Losing $500K From Contract Clause, 'He Didn't Earn It'

Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs spent most of the offseason recovering from his knee injury in South Florida rather than with the team, and it cost him.

Diggs lost out on $500,000 from his $9 million 2025 salary after failing to adhere to a contract clause that required him to be present for 84.375 percent of the Cowboys' offseason program. Team owner Jerry Jones addressed the situation when speaking to Cowboys reporter Tommy Yarrish.

"He didn't earn it, he didn't come," Jones said when asked if there was frustration taking money away from Diggs. "That's in his contract that he doesn't get that unless he's going to be here… those are contractual things as Stephen said, it would be very detrimental to the team not to abide by the agreement."

Jones didn't mince words when discussing Diggs' absence from the offseason program, saying he showed a lack of leadership by not attending.

"We expect a player paid like Trevon to be here all the time," Jones said. "We expect him to be leading, expect him to be leading, but that's not new."

Jones even compared the situation with Diggs to what he dealt with when another star cornerback was on the roster, as Hall of Famer Deion Sanders also had a propensity for not participating in the dog days of the offseason.

"Deion was not necessarily a given to come to the weight room," Jones said. "I explained to him that it meant a lot for him to be in there… it's important to have the right body language in every respect when you are one of those rare, rare, financially paid and gifted players. You've got to have some leadership about you."

Diggs played in 11 games in 2024 before undergoing season-ending surgery to address an injury in the same knee that he tore his ACL in the previous year. He produced 52 tackles, 11 passes defended and two interceptions.

It wouldn't be a surprise if Jones' comments ruffle some feathers with Diggs and other players as the Cowboys begin training camp this week.