Trevon Diggs says goal is to be ‘flawless,’ one of NFL’s best after big deal; CB appreciates Stephon Gilmore

Signing a five-year, $97 million extension like Dallas Cowboys two-time Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs did on Tuesday is a reason to celebrate for both the franchise and Diggs himself. The two sides came to an agreement on a deal that provides Diggs an average-per-year salary of $19.4 million, tied for the fifth-highest in the NFL among cornerbacks with New Orleans Saints Pro Bowler Marshon Lattimore. However, his attention is already turned toward the next progression in his career: becoming of the NFL’s unquestioned, best corners. 

“At the end of the day, you’ve still got to go out there and perform,” Diggs said Wednesday, via The Dallas Morning News, when asked about his new deal. “My main goal is to stay consistent and keep building on my career and try to put together a good resume where at the end of the day, I’ll go down as one of the best DBs to play the game.”    

His head coach Mike McCarthy expressed a little bit more excitement about securing the prime years of his soon-to-be 25-year-old cornerback (Sept. 20), lauding the contract as a win for both Diggs and Jerry Jones’ draft-and-develop team-building approach. 

“It’s good all the way around,” McCarthy said Wednesday when asked about Diggs signing his new contract extension before the first training camp practice. “I’m excited for him and his family, what that means for his financial future. For us here at the Dallas Cowboys, the timing is great. Second contracts are such an important part of the draft-and-develop method. When you’re able to get your young guys done, it’s all in front of us. I was excited to see that happen.”

McCarthy has plenty of reason to be fired up because no one has more interceptions (17) than Diggs since he entered the NFL in 2020 , thanks to a 2021 season in which he led the league with 11. However, those takeaways came at the opportunity cost of also leading the league in passing yards allowed (2,362) and surrendering the third-most passing touchdowns (16) as the primary defender in coverage in the span of his career across the last three seasons. Those are areas the Cowboys would like to see tightened up, even at the expense of potential interceptions down the line

“We always talk about taking the next step and what the definition of that next step looks like,” McCarthy said. “I think clearly if you look at our defense as a whole, when you lead the league in a category like takeaways [34 in 2021 and 33 in 2022] as we have the last two years … he’s [Diggs] a big part of that too. It’s the ability to play with a higher level of discipline and know his opportunities are probably going to be less. How can he can contribute in the other aspects of defense? Just keep taking that next step.”

Fortunately for Diggs, he has the chance to evolve as cornerback alongside a teammate who has reached the top of the NFL’s cornerback mountain: five-time Pro Bowler and 2019 Defensive Player of the Year Gilmore. The Cowboys acquired the 32-year-old Super Bowl champion, entering the final year of his current contract, from the Indianapolis Colts in March in exchange for a fifth-round pick. Diggs has already looked to maximize every ounce of Gilmore’s knowledge.

“You can see the excitement from Day 1 when we signed him [Gilmore], and the next day in the weight room, those two [Diggs and Gilmore] were in there working out,” McCarthy said. “I think the first impression [of Gilmore] is impact. Not just for Trevon but for all of us. To bring that veteran leadership and the pelts that he has on the wall. You can see the impact that it had on the locker room, and it started on Day 1 with Trevon.”

Gilmore’s habits have already started to become Diggs’ by osmosis. Especially the little things like diet and sleep, the ones that can be the difference between a player at their position, one heavily reliant on athleticism, having a five-year career versus an 11-year career like Gilmore has. 

“I feel like he’s just very professional, just how he goes about his work, it’s like rubbed off on me,” Diggs said Wednesday, via The Athletic. “He’s waking up at 6 o’clock every day. So now I want to wake up at 6 o’clock every day, and go get a workout with him and do all the little stuff like that. He eats perfect. He doesn’t eat foolishness. He has seen me eating gummy snacks and he’ll be like, ‘Why are you eating that?’ Little things like that, him just taking me under his wing and just showing me how to last in the league that long. I’m just taking notes and soaking everything up, and I’m very appreciative for it.”

Diggs’ self-awareness and Gilmore’s teachings have made one thing clear: the new contract is not the finish line for Diggs. It’s step on his next path, the one to superstardom. 

“Hell no, I’m just starting,” Diggs said when asked if he feels much accomplishment after signing his new contract. “I want to be flawless all the way around and just try to be perfect, and just be one of the best DBs in the NFL.”