Jerry Jones on Cowboys docking Trevon Diggs' pay: He didn't earn it; he didn't come

The Cowboys confirmed that they have enforced the de-escalator clause in Trevon Diggs’ contract, lowering the cornerback’s base salary from $9 million to $8.5 million, because he didn’t rehab enough at the team facility.

“The de-escalation is contractually spelled out,” Cowboys executive vice president Stephen Jones said Monday. “When he decided to train in South Florida, he understood what the consequences would be.”

Dallas places base-salary de-escalator clauses in its large contracts, all but guaranteeing participation in the offseason program. The team had the option of not enforcing the clause, and Diggs is believed to be the first Cowboys’ player to see his base salary lowered because of it.

His contract stipulates he participate in 84.375 percent of the offseason program at the team facility.

“He didn’t earn it; he didn’t come,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. “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.”

Diggs tore the anterior cruciate ligament in his left knee during a Week 3 practice in 2023. Diggs now is rehabbing the same knee after chondral bone graft surgery Jan. 23, which entails transplanting pieces of bone tissue into the joint to stimulate growth.

Jerry Jones was critical of Diggs rehabbing away from the facility in 2023, and on Monday, he made it clear the team expects more from Diggs after signing him to a five-year, $97 million contract extension in 2023.

“We expect a player paid like Trevon to be here all the time. We expect him to be leading,” Jerry Jones said. “That’s not new. That goes all the way back to Deion [Sanders]. Deion was not necessarily given to come to the weight room. I explained to him that it meant a lot for him to be in there. . . . It needs to have some show with it.

“So, it’s important. 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, who could miss all of the 2025 season with his injury, is a two-time Pro Bowler who led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021. He has played only 13 games the past two seasons, while totaling three interceptions.