DaRon

Bland

Bland will undergo foot surgery later this week after missing the final three weeks of the season with the foot ailment. Signed to an extension during training camp, Bland had a career-worst (though still fairly solid) 64.5 PFF coverage grade in 2025.

The team also placed fellow cornerback DaRon Bland (foot) on injured reserve in an associated move. As has been the case for most of the season, the Cowboys continue forward without pieces from their secondary. Diggs pushed his return up to the limit, meaning we might not see him play a full allotment of snaps in his first game in over two months.

This is unfortunate. Bland broke out in 2023, breaking up six passes and recording nine interceptions. He fractured his foot during the 2024 training camp and has struggled to return to form ever since. This season, Bland has broken up five passes, intercepted one pass, totaled 53 tackles and two quarterback pressures.

Turpin, Booker, Lamb, and Sanborn were all ruled out on Friday. Tyler Smith (knee), DaRon Bland (shoulder), and Trevon Diggs (knee) will all play off their questionable tags. Cornelius and (Mazi) Smith are healthy scratches.

Cowboys LG Tyler Smith (knee) is questionable and RG Tyler Booker (ankle) is out. The Cowboys’ offensive line health is beginning to improve, which bodes positively for both Dak Prescott and Javonte Williams. The Panthers’ defensive line is among the league’s weaker units, but the Cowboys face a tougher Commanders squad in Week 7. The Cowboys also ruled out LB Jack Sanborn (concussion). CBs DaRon Bland (shoulder) and Trevon Diggs (knee) are questionable, though both players remained limited in practice all week.

Ditto DaRon Bland. Diggs was listed with a knee injury later in the week despite starting off with a shoulder impediment, which tells us that the shoulder has reached an NFL level of “fine.” Bland will be returning for the first time since hurting his foot ahead of Week 2.

Bland has missed the last two games due to a foot injury he suffered in Week 1, but the fourth-year corner could be on the field in a pivotal Week 4 matchup against a tough Packers team. Bland avoided being placed on injured reserve after going down in the season-opener, so a return within four weeks was always on the table. The Cowboys will release their first injury report of the week on Wednesday. Bland’s name will be one to keep an eye on.

Bland suffered a right foot injury in Monday’s practice and was a DNP on Wednesday. Bland suffered a stress fracture to his left foot last season that required surgery and resulted in him missing seven games last season. Archer reports this new injury is not considered as serious as last year’s, which leads us to believe surgery is not on the table at this time. However, his Week 2 absence against the Giants could prove costly for a Cowboys secondary that is still working Trevon Diggs (27 snaps in Week 1) back into the mix. We’ll likely get an official word on Bland’s availability by the end of the week, but it’s possible a stint on the IR could be in his future if the team believes his recovery will stretch beyond four games.

It’s a concerning development for Bland, who missed 10 games in 2024 because of a foot injury. However, it’s not clear if the two issues are related. Bland played on every single snap in Week 1 and recorded three tackles. Losing him to a recurring foot issue would be a massive blow to a Dallas defense that began the season by shipping off their star EDGE defender in Micah Parsons. Dallas Morning News’ Calvin Watkins reports Bland will miss a couple weeks due to a right foot injury.

This extension has been in the works since July, but it was likely held up by the Micah Parsons fiasco. It includes $50 million in guarantees. The fourth-year pro is expected to return to the slot-coverage role that he excelled in during his first two NFL seasons, where he racked up eight pass breakups and 14 interceptions. He primarily played on the outside last year, breaking up just three passes and recording zero interceptions.