The Chicago Bears are looking for any help they can get on defense ahead of their trip to the playoffs. Obviously, you won't find any this time of year. Teams aren't in the business of letting good players walk. Well, apparently nobody told that to the Dallas Cowboys. They announced on Tuesday that they are releasing former All-Pro cornerback Trevon Diggs, just two years after signing a massive extension with the team. This is an incredible turn of events. At one point, Diggs looked like he was set to become one of the NFL's best.
Unfortunately, some injury setbacks marred his past three seasons. Couple that with some clear bad blood between the cornerback and team management, and it appears a breaking point was reached. While the Bears can't afford his contract to claim him off waivers, they have plenty of reasons to bring him in if he hits free agency. Diggs is a master at taking the ball away when healthy, which aligns well with Dennis Allen's defense. He also worked with assistant coach Al Harris for years in Dallas. That familiarity might be what he needs to regain his old form.
Trevon Diggs is a good player when under Harris.
For whatever reason, the Bears' secondary coach has the magic touch with the young cornerback. He got 11 interceptions out of him in 2021. Diggs was always a respectable player. Yet after Harris' departure this past offseason, the cornerback went off the rails. Quarterbacks have a perfect passer rating (158.3) when targeting him this season. It's clear he wasn't comfortable in Matt Eberflus' system, and the apparent beef with management wasn't helping. Reuniting with Harris on a playoff-bound team might be what he needs to regain some confidence.
The Bears, for their part, have everything to gain and nothing to lose. They've been banged up at cornerback all year. Adding somebody with the pedigree of Trevon Diggs, even as a rotational reserve, would be a huge potential boost. If Harris can return him to even 70% of the player he was four years ago, it makes the Bears defense considerably more dangerous. A strong finish to the season would also be great for his future prospects in 2026. It could be a win-win.
