Getty Dallas Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs flexes before an NFL game.
The Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers have plenty of history, but recent developments have reignited one of the NFL’s best rivalries. Now, the heat is carrying over into the offseason as Cowboys corner Trevon Diggs and 49ers wide receiver Jauan Jennings trade jabs.
San Francisco has knocked Dallas out of the playoffs in back-to-back seasons, reaching the NFC Championship in both the 2021 and 2022 campaigns. Diggs has had to stomach those exits, while Jennings has been on the winning end.
According to Dov Kleiman, Jennings took the first shot at the Cowboys’ corner. Jennings commented on Instagram that he “can’t wait to see him again” along with a laughing emoji. Diggs apparently saw the 49ers wide receiver’s comment and fired back.
“u will never line up in front of me in your life,” Diggs replied.
It’s worth mentioning that Diggs may have a point, as he is the Cowboys’ No. 1 corner while Jennings is San Francisco’s No. 3 or No. 4 option behind Brandon Aiyuk and Deebo Samuel. However, Kleiman’s Tweet does bring up a big block Jennings laid on Diggs that could be part of the two’s situation.
Add in the fact that Diggs played his college ball at Alabama and Jennings played at rival Tennessee, and it’s clear that the two have plenty to be at odds over.
Trevon Diggs Gets New Cowboys Contract
Coming into the 2023 offseason, there was speculation over whether Dallas would go ahead and pay their top corner. Finally, the Cowboys and Diggs completed the deal right before training camp in late July.
As NFL.com reported, the contract extension is set for five years and features a base pay of $97 million. However, there are another $7 million in incentives that can take Diggs’ total contract value up to $104 million.
The deal makes Diggs the fifth-highest-paid cornerback in the league, which could be considered a win for Dallas after his back-to-back Pro Bowl honors. PFR states that Diggs has 17 interceptions in his first three NFL campaigns (11 in 2021) and 49 passes defended.
Now, the Cowboys have him locked up for the foreseeable future and have just added two-time All-Pro CB Stephon Gilmore to complement him heading into the 2023 season.
Jauan Jennings Looking for Next Step With 49ers
While Diggs has gotten his big second contract, Jennings is looking to set up his next contract as he enters his third NFL season. The former Tennessee Volunteer has developed into a solid role player but has the opportunity to continue elevating his production.
After just one start and 282 receiving yards in 2021 (although he did record 5 TDs,) he started four games in 2022 and reached 416 receiving yards per PFR. He only reached the endzone once last year, but it’s clear that 49ers head coach Kyle Shanahan wanted him to have a bigger role in the offense.
With a 6’3″ and 212-pound frame, Jennings is a tough physical matchup for most corners including Diggs. However, he has two top-end receivers in Samuel and Aiyuk that will make increased attention in an offense (that also features RBs Christian McCaffery and Elijah Mitchell) hard to come by.