Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Officially ruled out for Week 16
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Bland (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Chargers, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Bland's absence for Sunday's game comes as no surprise after Cowboys owner Jerry Jones relayed Friday that the fourth-year corner may undergo season-ending surgery to repair a foot injury he sustained against the Vikings in Week 15. Rookie third-rounder Shavon Revel (knee) would likely start opposite Caelen Carson (shoulder/hamstring) for the rest of the season if Bland goes under the knife.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Likely to miss rest of season
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Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said Friday that Bland (foot) will likely require surgery, and Jones thinks Bland will be out for the rest of the season, Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News reports.
Official confirmation is still pending, but all signs point to Bland needing season-ending surgery on the foot injury he sustained in the Week 15 loss to the Vikings. The Cowboys would be eliminated from playoff contention with a loss to the Chargers on Sunday, though wins by the Eagles and Packers on Saturday would knock Dallas out before Sunday's games begin. Expect Bland to be ruled out against the Chargers on Friday's injury report.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Facing surgery
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Bland is expected to require surgery on his left foot, but he's seeking a second opinion, Todd Archer of ESPN.com reports.
Bland sustained a foot injury in the team's Week 15 loss to the Vikings, and he's now facing the prospect of undergoing surgery on his left foot for the second straight year. No surgery has been scheduled yet, but the cornerback will likely be placed on injured reserve in the near future, bringing his season to an end anyway. In his absence, Trikweze Bridges, Caelen Carson (shoulder) and Shavon Revel (knee) will all have chances to step into more prominent roles in the secondary.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Dealing with foot injury
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Bland did not practice Wednesday due to a foot injury, Clarence Hill Jr. of AllDLLS.com reports.
Bland likely picked up the injury during Dallas' Week 15 loss to Minnesota, when he tallied four tackles (two solo) and one pass defense while playing 54 of 55 defensive snaps (98.2 percent). The fourth-year corner has two more chances to return to practice ahead of Sunday's game against the Chargers.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Leads team in tackles
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Bland finished with seven tackles (four solo) in Thursday's 44-30 loss to the Lions.
On a dismal night for Dallas' defense, Bland was at least active. The cornerback now has 69 tackles (43 solo) on the year, as well as five pass breakups, including an interception.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Makes three tackles in win
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Bland finished with three solo tackles in Thursday's 31-28 win over the Chiefs.
The cornerback also played on 86 percent of the defensive snaps. Bland has played on at least 64 percent of the defensive snaps in every game he's been available for this season, recording 62 total tackles (39 solo) and five pass breakups, including an interception.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Good enough in divisional win
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Bland (wrist) recorded three tackles (two solo) and a pass defensed during Sunday's 24-21 win versus the Eagles.
Bland posted his lowest tackle total since Week 6 at Carolina, but he got a pass breakup for the fifth time in his last five games. For the season, his per-game tackle production has still been the best of his career, making him one of the rare cornerbacks that warrants IDP consideration in some formats. He has been working through a wrist issue Monday and Tuesday, but he's not showing any limitations, so he should be good to go on Thanksgiving Day versus the Chiefs.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Gets back into end zone Sunday
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Bland recorded seven tackles (five solo) and returned an interception 68 yards for a touchdown in Sunday's win over the Commanders.
With the Cowboys already ahead 34-15 in the third quarter and Jayden Daniels (hamstring) out of the game, Bland stepped in front of a desperation toss into the flat by Marcus Mariota and took it to the house. It was the 15th career INT and the sixth career pick-six for Bland after his NFL-record five in 2023, and the surest sign yet that the fourth-year cornerback is fully healthy after batting a foot injury last season and a shoulder issue to begin 2025.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Questionable to play Week 6
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Bland (shoulder) is listed as questionable for Sunday's game against the Panthers, Clarence Hill Jr. of AllDLLS.com reports.
Bland has been limited in practice all week due to a shoulder injury that he likely picked up during the Cowboys' Week 5 win over the Jets. Bland and Trevon Diggs (knee) are both listed as questionable for Sunday's contest, and their absences would open the door for more snaps at outside corner for Kaiir Elam, Trikweze Bridges and C.J. Goodwin.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Past foot injury
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Bland (foot) was a full participant in Thursday's practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Bland is on track to return from a two-game absence due to a foot sprain that he suffered in practice ahead of the Cowboys' Week 2 clash against the Giants. The Cowboys' secondary appears to be getting healthier with Bland, Trevon Diggs (knee), and rookie seventh-rounder Trikweze Bridges (knee) all trending towards playing Sunday against the Packers.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Opens week with limited practice
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Bland (foot) was a limited participant in Wednesday's practice, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
A foot injury has prevented Bland from playing in the Cowboys' last two games, but Todd Archer of ESPN.com relayed Tuesday that the 2022 fifth-rounder is trending toward a Week 4 return against the Packers. Bland will have two more opportunities to upgrade to a full practice participant heading into Sunday's tilt.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Out for Week 3
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Bland (foot) has been ruled out for Sunday's game against the Bears, Adam Caplan of SiriusXM NFL Radio reports.
Bland didn't practice at all this week and will miss his second straight game after he was injured in practice last week. Kaiir Elam and Reddy Steward are in line to see increased reps in the secondary for the second straight week.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Ruled out for Week 2
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Bland (foot) won't play Sunday against the Giants, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said Friday, Jon Machota of The Athletic reports.
Bland is viewed as week-to-week due to a foot sprain, so it's not surprising that he'll miss at least one game due to the injury. Schottenheimer noted that the Cowboys will use safeties to help out in Bland's usual nickel cornerback role, which could mean more playing time for reserve safeties Juanyeh Thomas and Markquese Bell in Dallas' depleted secondary.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Three tackles in Week 1
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Bland recorded three tackles in Thursday's 24-20 loss to the Eagles.
Bland was one of five Cowboys defenders to play 100 percent of the defensive snaps. Bland nearly evenly split his work between the slot and a traditional wide corner alignment, while Trevon Diggs was in a part-time role as he ramps up from a knee injury. Bland should retain a full snap count even once Diggs is fully back in the mix, potentially playing even more often in the slot.
Bland and the Cowboys have agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract extension that includes $50 million in guaranteed money, Ian Rapoport of NFL Network reports.
Though a foot injury limited Bland to only seven games last season, considerable shine remains from his historic 2023 campaign during which he registered an NFL record five pick-sixes among his nine interceptions. Bland will now likely be a Cowboy for the considerable future, and the $23 million average annual salary on the extension makes him the sixth-highest-paid cornerback in the league, per Nick Harris of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Practicing again
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Bland (personal) returned to Dallas' practice Monday, Todd Archer of ESPN reports
Bland missed the start of training camp to attend the birth of his son but is now back with the Cowboys. The 26-year-old did not go through team drills during Monday's session but should be a full participant within the coming days.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Secures 41 tackles in limited year
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Bland finished the 2024 season with 41 tackles (29 solo), five passes defensed, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery across seven games.
Bland was limited to just seven games in 2024 due to a foot injury, registering 41 stops, his lowest total in three seasons with the Cowboys. Additionally, after recording 14 interceptions between his first two seasons in the NFL, Bland was unable to secure an interception this season. The cornerback will look to get back on track in 2025, likely starting opposite of Trevon Diggs (knee) again in the Cowboys' secondary.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Six tackles against Philadelphia
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Bland registered six tackles (four solo) and one pass defense during Sunday's 41-7 loss to the Eagles.
It was a rough day defensively for the Cowboys, but Bland managed to finish tied with Andrew Booth for the third-most tackles on Dallas behind Malik Hooker and Eric Kendricks (nine each). Bland has logged at least five tackles in five of six games and is up to 34 tackles (22 solo), five pass defenses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. Bland appears to be fully recovered from the stress fracture in his left foot that forced him to miss the first 10 games of the regular season. He'll try to register his first interception of the year against the Commanders on Sunday.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Makes game-clinching turnover
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Bland registered eight tackles (seven solo), one pass defense, and recovered a fumble that he forced in Sunday's 26-24 win over Tampa Bay.
Bland made the play of the game late in the fourth quarter, when he ripped the ball out of Rachaad White's hands with 1:40 left in the fourth quarter, which allowed the Cowboys to kneel out the clock and secure the victory. Bland has played every single defensive snap over the Cowboys' last three games, and in the five games since being activated off IR due to a foot injury, he has registered 28 tackles (18 solo), four pass defenses, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
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Cowboys' DaRon Bland: Making 2024 debut in Week 12
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Bland (foot) has no injury designation ahead of Sunday's matchup against the Commanders, Mike Garafolo of NFL Network reports.
Bland practiced in full all week and is now in line to make his 2024 debut Sunday after missing Dallas' first 10 games this season due to a foot injury sustained in late August. The third-year corner from Fresno State earned first-team All-Pro honors in 2023, recording 69 total tackles and 15 passes defended, including nine interceptions (and five pick-sixes) across 17 regular-season games. If Trevon Diggs (groin/knee) is able to suit up in Week 12, the Cowboys will have their top outside cornerback duo for the first time this season.
