Rob Demovsky
GREEN BAY, Wis. — The playoff-bound Packers added some much-needed help in the secondary when they claimed former Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs off waivers Wednesday.
A two-time Pro Bowler, Diggs was released a day earlier for a variety of reasons, including but not limited to skipping a team flight home from Dallas’ most recent game against the Commanders in Maryland.
The Packers lost a pair of cornerbacks to injuries in Saturday’s loss to the Baltimore Ravens. Nate Hobbs suffered a knee injury that could end his season, and Kamal Hadden sustained a season-ending ankle injury and already has been placed on injured reserve.
Because Diggs was claimed off waivers, Green Bay inherited the remainder of the five-year, $97 million contract he signed in 2023, but because the deal has no remaining guaranteed money, the Packers could cut him without any salary cap consequences after this season.
The move costs the Packers only one week’s pay, $472,000, plus another $58,823 if Diggs is active for Sunday’s regular-season finale against the Minnesota Vikings. If he had cleared waivers, he would have been a free agent.
Diggs has played in only eight games this season, missing time because of a concussion and a right knee injury, and hasn’t had a pass breakup or an interception. His lone tackle for a loss came in the tie against the Packers in Week 4.
Green Bay has been thin at cornerback since it released Jaire Alexander in the offseason. Hobbs was supposed to play a key role after signing a four-year, $48 million contract as a free agent in the offseason, but he has battled knee injuries since the preseason.
Dallas coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed Diggs’ exit earlier Wednesday, saying his refusal to fly home with the team after the Commanders game on Christmas “was one of many factors” in why he was waived. Diggs, a Maryland native, asked Schottenheimer in the locker room whether he could remain in the area to be with family and was told no.
“It was not the only factor,” Schottenheimer said. “I’m not the Grinch that stole Christmas. I love Christmas. I love my family. But at the end of the day we have a protocol that we go through, and the process was not followed.”
It had not been a smooth season for Diggs even before that. He had questioned defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus’ scheme and wanted to play more man-to-man coverage. After suffering a concussion from an at-home accident, Diggs was placed on injured reserve because of issues with his right knee. The Cowboys did not elevate him to the 53-man roster until the practice window was up, with Schottenheimer saying Diggs needed to do “everything” right before he would return.
It’s too soon to know whether Diggs could play Sunday against the Vikings.
On Tuesday, the Packers signed cornerbacks Shemar Bartholomew and Jaylin Simpson from the practice squad to the active roster to help offset their injuries at the position. They also added another cornerback to their practice squad Wednesday by signing Tyron Herring.
ESPN’s Todd Archer contributed to this report.
