Dak Prescott does not have the playoff success to validate his record-setting contract, but quarterbacks aren’t paid based on playoff success. If that was the case, only a handful of QBs would currently have big-money extensions.
They are paid based on regular-season success. When Prescott is healthy, the Dallas Cowboys are seemingly always in the playoff hunt. That year-to-year consistency carries a ton of weight, which is why Prescott’s contract is not the worst on Dallas’ payroll.
That mantle belongs to Trevon Diggs, who signed a five-year, $97 million extension with the franchise in July of 2023. The deal is worth up to $104 million with incentives and its $19.4 million annual average value made him the fifth-highest-paid cornerback at the time.
Trevon Diggs’ extension has not aged well for the Cowboys
Diggs is now the eighth-highest-paid CB based on AAV, but regardless the Cowboys have not gotten elite cornerback play from their ball-hawk.
A lot of that has to do with injuries.
Diggs has played 13 of a possible 34 regular-season games since signing his extension. He suffered a torn ACL just two games into the 2023 campaign and sat out the remaining six games last year with another knee injury that required surgery. The second operation is especially alarming as it was performed to repair damaged cartilage.
In fairness to Dallas, this is more an unfortunate run of luck than a poor use of resources. Diggs was a no-brainer extension candidate at the time of his extension. He was only 24 years old and had racked up a league-leading 17 interceptions over his first three seasons.
Health notwithstanding, though, Diggs did not play up to his contract in 2024 before his season-ending injury. His 56.6 PFF player grade was the worst of his career and ranked 145th out of 222 cornerbacks, per PFF. Furthermore, his 43.9 run-defense grade ranked 206th at the position. That can be attributed to his 12 (!) missed tackles.
The Cowboys obviously aren’t paying Diggs to stop the run, but it’s not like he was lockdown in coverage, which should be the expectation given the contract. The former All-Pro ranked in the middle of the pack in passer rating allowed (89.4), completion rate when targeted (64.7 percent) and forced incompletion rate (12 percent).
With DaRon Bland entering the final year of his rookie deal, Dallas might have to choose whether to keep one of Bland or Diggs. While Bland was limited by a foot injury last year, logic would say to bet on his future relative to Diggs’. Two knee surgeries in as many years is serious stuff.
Hopefully Diggs gets back on the field soon and reminds everyone why the Cowboys made him one of the richest CBs in football.
