Veteran cornerback Trevon Diggs worked out for the Detroit Lions over the weekend, according to ESPN's Adam Schefter, as the former Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowler continues searching for a new team following a turbulent stretch that has seen him released twice in the past year. The tryout was confirmed by Sunday's NFL transaction list, which showed Diggs as one of eight players brought into Allen Park for workouts, according to Yahoo Sports.
Diggs, 27, joined a group that included quarterbacks Jack Plummer and Jake Haener, wide receivers Julian Hicks and Ray-Ray McCloud, and linebackers Amari Burney, Milo Eifler and Amen Agbongbemiga. Of that group, only Agbongbemiga was signed, brought on for his special-teams value, Yahoo Sports reported. Plummer and Haener reportedly impressed during their workouts, but the Lions instead moved to sign veteran quarterback Josh Dobbs on a one-year deal worth $1.425 million, including $475,000 guaranteed, to fill the void left by Teddy Bridgewater's abrupt retirement. The receiver tryouts came after veteran Cedrick Wilson Jr. missed Sunday's practice for reasons that have not been disclosed, according to Yahoo Sports.
As for Diggs himself, the Lions have not announced a signing, and it remains unclear whether Detroit will bring him aboard. But the team does have a clear need at cornerback after waiving Terrion Arnold this offseason, Yahoo Sports noted, which could make a low-cost, low-risk look at Diggs worthwhile even if his best football is behind him.
A Rapid Rise, Then a Steady Decline
Diggs entered the league as a second-round pick out of Alabama in the 2020 NFL draft and quickly became one of the most productive ball-hawks in football. In his second season, 2021, he led the NFL with 11 interceptions, earned a Pro Bowl selection and was named First Team All-Pro. He followed that up with another solid, if less spectacular, campaign in 2022, tallying three interceptions and 14 passes defended en route to a second consecutive Pro Bowl nod, according to Yahoo Sports.
That is where the trajectory changed. Diggs tore his ACL in his left knee during a 2023 practice, an injury that derailed what had looked like a rising star's career. A separate injury to the same knee in 2024 further limited him, and between those two seasons he appeared in just 13 total games, according to Bleacher Report. His interception totals told their own story: he has recorded nine picks across his last five seasons combined, fewer than the 11 he posted in that single 2021 breakout year, a gap Bleacher Report pointed to as evidence that his counting stats early in his career may have outpaced his actual on-field impact.
Despite the injury concerns, the Cowboys made a significant bet on Diggs in 2023, signing him to a five-year, $97 million contract extension. That investment strained relations between the two sides as his health problems mounted. Ahead of the 2025 season, Dallas docked Diggs $500,000 in salary after determining he had not participated in the voluntary offseason program to the extent the team wanted, according to Bleacher Report.
Diggs still managed to appear in eight games for the Cowboys last season, but a right knee issue and a concussion he suffered at his own home once again cut into his availability. Dallas released him in December. He then signed with the Green Bay Packers to close out the season, though the exact length of that stint is described differently across reports: Bleacher Report said he appeared in only one game for Green Bay, while Yahoo Sports reported he lasted two games with the Packers before becoming a free agent again. Either way, both outlets agree his time in Green Bay was brief, and he has been unsigned since.
A Cautious Bet for a Cornerback-Needy Roster
For the Lions, the appeal of a Diggs workout is straightforward. Detroit no longer has Terrion Arnold on its roster after waiving him this offseason, leaving a hole in the secondary that the team has yet to fully address, according to Yahoo Sports. Diggs, even diminished by injuries, still carries name recognition and a track record that includes a First Team All-Pro season, and a workout tryout carries essentially no financial risk for the club.
Bleacher Report was blunt in assessing where Diggs' career stands now, suggesting that expecting a return to his 2021 form is likely wishful thinking given the pattern of knee injuries and diminishing production since then. Still, the outlet noted that on a cheap, incentive-laden deal focused on adding cornerback depth, Diggs could be of some use to a team like Detroit that isn't asking him to be a No. 1 corner again, just a body who can compete for a roster spot.
Whether that translates into an actual contract remains to be seen. The Lions did not sign Diggs alongside Agbongbemiga over the weekend, opting instead to keep evaluating their options at cornerback, receiver and elsewhere on the roster. For now, Diggs remains a free agent, auditioning for a chance to prove that the player who once led the league in interceptions still has something left to offer, even after two releases and a series of injuries that have reshaped what was once one of the most promising young careers at his position.
