NFL Announces Cowboys Trevon Diggs Punishment For Actions in Win Over Jets
The Dallas Cowboys appeared to have last weekend’s game against the winless New York Jets well in hand heading into the fourth quarter, with a 30-6 lead. But that didn’t stop emotions from running high anyway, and a Dallas two-time Pro Bowl defender finds his wallet just a bit lighter on Saturday, after the NFL Operations Office announced its “gameday accountability” actions — better known as fines — for Week Five.
Trevon Diggs, the Cowboys’ 2021 All-Pro cornerback, was fined $12,172 by the league for an unsportsmanlike conduct penalty he incurred in the fourth quarter of that game at MetLife Stadium, with the league describing the more specific reason for the fine as “striking/kicking/tripping/kneeing.”
Scuffle Between Diggs, Jets Rookie
What happened was this: with 13:47 remaining in the game and the Cowboys still on top by 24 points, Jets quarterback Justin Fields tried a run up the middle on third down and one yard to go — but he didn’t make it. The Cowboys defense stopped Fields for no gain.
But Diggs was not involved in the play that halted Fields and the Jets because he was otherwise occupied, getting himself in a fight — more accurately described as a scuffle — with the Jets’ rookie wide receiver Arian Smith, a fourth-round pick out of Georgia.
Diggs was a second-round pick in 2020 for the Cowboys, out of Alabama.
The former Bulldogs standout apparently caught Diggs with a head butt on the play. But the officials either did not see that offense or did not consider it significant. Smith was not penalized on the play, nor did the NFL later slap him with a fine.
Diggs Fine Was First Offense
The NFL may levy fines on players for offenses that the officials failed to flag during play, and in fact, the league reviews every play of every game to look for uncalled violations, as well as to review the penalties that were flagged by officials.
What happened next, however, did catch the officials’ attention. Aggravated by the Smith head butt, Diggs responded by taking a swing at the Jets rookie. That impulsive action by Diggs drew a 15-yard penalty, but the call did not affect the Jets’ drive because the refs chose to enforce the yardage between downs.
The $12,172 fine imposed on Diggs was a first offense penalty. If Diggs is called for a second penalty in the same category this season, the fine — should the NFL choose to hit him with one — would be $17,968.
In fact, the call was just Diggs’ second penalty of any kind this season, and his first to be accepted. In the Cowboys’ Week Four game, which ended in a 40-40 tie with the Green Bay Packers, Diggs received flag for defensive holding in the third quarter. But the Packers opted to decline the penalty.
Diggs Hit With Heftier Fine in 2024
After suffering more frequent penalties in the first three seasons of his career, Diggs has cleaned up his game more recently. He was called for just two last season, plus another that was declined, though two of his 2024 called came for unnecessary roughness.
Diggs was fined for one of those calls, a leg-whip in Week One of 2024 against the Cleveland Browns. That one cost Diggs $16,883.
Packers 9.5-Sack Edge Rusher Considered Trade Target for 49ers
The Green Bay Packers made one of the biggest acquisitions just before the start of the season, improving their pass rush by trading with the Dallas Cowboys for Micah Parsons.
Parsons and Rashan Gary now serve as the Packers’ primary edge rushers, with former first-round pick Lukas Van Ness also heavily contributing. That depth has left Kingsley Enagbare as the odd man out, working primarily as a backup behind the trio.
Even so, NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport believes Enagbare could draw significant trade interest from teams in need of pass-rush help — one of those being the San Francisco 49ers.
Rapoport pointed to the 49ers losing Nick Bosa for the season with a torn ACL as a potential reason they could inquire about Enagbare. Bosa suffered the injury back in Week 3 against the Arizona Cardinals but still ranks second on the team in sacks (two) and is tied for the lead in tackles for loss (four) heading into Week 6.
Along with Enagbare, Rapoport also mentioned Tennessee Titans edge rusher Arden Key and Miami Dolphins linebacker Bradley Chubb as possible trade targets for the 49ers and other teams looking for pass-rushing help.
Kingsley Enagbare Career With Packers
Enagbare, 25, is in the middle of his fourth season in Green Bay. He has appeared in all 17 games each year — 55 total — but has just 18 career starts. His best season came in 2024 when he recorded 4.5 sacks, eight quarterback hits, and two forced fumbles. Overall, he has 9.5 sacks, 23 QB hits, and three forced fumbles in his career, with at least 20 pressures in each of the past three seasons, according to Pro Football Focus.
This season, his impact has been limited. Enagbare has yet to make a start but has appeared in all four games, posting six tackles and one QB hit without a sack. That limited production is largely due to playing behind Parsons, Gary, and Van Ness — a trio that has combined for 7.5 sacks this year.
Would It Make Sense To Trade Kingsley Enagbare?
A 2022 fifth-round pick, Enagbare is nearing the end of his rookie deal with the Packers. Trading him could be an easy way to move on if the front office doesn’t plan to re-sign him. However, the real question is whether a team like the 49ers could offer enough value to make it worthwhile for Green Bay.
Since Enagbare has primarily served as a depth piece throughout his career, his trade value likely wouldn’t be very high. The Packers would need to weigh the short-term benefit of a draft pick against the long-term value of keeping him as insurance.
“The Packers would likely need a draft pick worth more than a potential future compensatory pick to consider a trade,” Packers Wire’s Zach Kruse wrote.
Let’s face it: the Packers, sitting at 2-1-1, still look like one of the more complete teams in the NFC. Despite their youth, they appear capable of making a strong playoff push come January. But playoff football requires depth — especially at edge rusher. If something were to happen to Parsons, Gary, or Van Ness, Green Bay would need a reliable fill-in.
Right now, that backup option would be 2025 fourth-round draft pick Barryn Sorrell. The rookie has appeared in three games this season, posting 0.5 sacks and one QB hit.
