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Vikings Should Get an Early Jump on CB Shopping
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- Vikings Should Get an Early Jump on CB Shopping
Scott Kinser-Imagn Images
The Minnesota Vikings will need a cornerback or two when the 2026 offseason arrives, whether from free agency or the draft, and if general manager Kwesi Adofo-Mensah is in the right mood, he can check that need off the list in Week 18 of the 2025 regular season. How? Why? Well, Dallas Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs is available.
Minnesota can't treat cornerback as a late-spring errand again. If the team wants a starter-level upgrade for 2026, the cleanest path is acting before demand spikes. That, in theory, could be now with Diggs.
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Dallas stunningly released Diggs on Tuesday, some five days before the season ends, and now any team in the NFL can claim him via waivers in order of win-loss record.
Trevon Diggs' Availability Could Intrigue the Vikings
Yes, Diggs is available to all teams.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs surveys the field during pregame moments on Aug. 16, 2025, at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, a quiet snapshot before Dallas faced Baltimore, capturing Diggs' return to full-season readiness as the Cowboys evaluated defensive roles, coverage responsibilities, and secondary depth heading into another pressure-heavy campaign. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images.
Cowboys Drop Diggs
No one had a Diggs release on their December bingo cards, but the move is real.
ESPN's Todd Archer wrote Tuesday , "The Dallas Cowboys have released two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs with one game to play. Diggs, 27, will go through waivers and will be a free agent if he isn't claimed. The Cowboys close the season Sunday at the New York Giants . The move ends a tumultuous two-season span that has seen the player and the organization grow apart."
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"One source said the decision to move on from Diggs was due to 'a culmination of events, including performance.' Diggs signed a five-year, $97 million contract extension in 2023, but he has played in just 21 games over the past two seasons because of knee injuries. He tore his left ACL in practice in 2023 and missed six games last year because of an issue that required a chondral graft in January in the same knee."
Diggs will hit waivers, a process in which the Las Vegas Raiders will have first dibs, and the Seattle Seahawks will be at the very bottom.
The Complete Explanation
So, why would Dallas drop Diggs at such a random moment? Let's face it. Jerry Jones could have traded him in the offseason.
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NFL insider Jordan Schutlz added context , "My understanding of the Trevon Diggs situation is this: after the Cowboys finished their Christmas game vs. the Commanders , Diggs requested with HC Brian Schottenheimer to stay in Washington for the holiday since he's from the area and his family stays there."
"Players often ask for — and are usually granted — additional family time during the holidays if the schedule makes sense (Dallas played Thursday). Schotty denied the request. Diggs again said he wanted to be with his family and that if he went back to Dallas, he'd just be flying right back on the first flight out, especially with players having several days off."
It seems that the Cowboys' brass was routinely frustrated by Diggs.
Schultz concluded, "The team vehemently denied his request again. And then today, the team released him. Diggs is healthy and ready to join a new team for the playoffs."
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Why the Vikings Should Pounce
When the offseason hits, the Vikings will have two decent starting cornerbacks under contract: Byron Murphy Jr. and Isaiah Rodgers . The pair held up quite well in 2025, not succumbing to injuries and generally performing admirably.
But the Vikings "got away with it."
The club played the whole 2025 campaign with criminally skimpy cornerback depth , relying on Fabian Moreau at CB3 when Jeff Okudah — who played horribly — hit injured reserve with two concussions in a span of a few weeks. The team must finally find another formidable cornerback, and a guy like Diggs might be just what the doctor ordered.
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It's also worth noting that Minnesota has not drafted a productive cornerback in over a decade. The last guy was Trae Waynes , and after him in 2015, two different general managers have struck out per long-term sustainability on every single cornerback from every round of the draft.
Meanwhile, Minnesota's decent cornerback play this season might have been masked by Brian Flores' wizardry. If Flores accepts a head coaching job elsewhere in 2026, the Vikings better have more than two decent cornerbacks on the roster.
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs goes through pregame warmups on Dec. 25, 2025, at Northwest Stadium in Landover, a routine scene before Dallas met Washington that underscored Diggs' role as a focal point in the secondary while the Cowboys weighed matchup strategy, coverage flexibility, and late-season defensive consistency. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images.
These are Diggs' passer-rating-against numbers as a pro:
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2020: 85.8
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2021: 55.8
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2022: 86.1
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2023: Mostly injured
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2024: 85.3
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2025: 157.2 (22 targets)
Miss Out Because of a Playoff Team?
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The Cowboys are on the hook for Diggs' dead cap hit: $17 million. His cap numbers, if claimed by another team, are as follows:
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2026: $18.4 million
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2027: $23.4 million
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2028: $21.0 million
Those are decent cap numbers for a productive NFL cornerback, but if the alternative is to wait for Diggs to clear waivers, then the claiming team is not on the hook for his upcoming cap numbers .
Dallas Cowboys cornerback Trevon Diggs loosens up before kickoff on Oct. 12, 2025, at Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte, preparing for a matchup with Carolina as Dallas leaned on Diggs' range, ball skills, and recovery speed while managing defensive assignments against evolving offensive looks. Mandatory Credit: Scott Kinser-Imagn Images.
In that vein, assuming all teams wait for him to clear waivers, Diggs will probably sign with a playoff team this week or next — why wouldn't he? — and get in on the dance, unlike the Cowboys, who did provide that opportunity this season or last.
There is a world, though, where the Vikings pursue a full-court press for Diggs when his stock is at its lowest. They could claim via waivers and eat the upcoming cap numbers — or hope playoff teams don't need him and sign him outright. Either way, it's worth an inquiry with Diggs' representation.
Diggs turned 27 back in September.
