Just two years ago, Dallas Cowboys star CB DaRon Bland led the league with nine interceptions. He logged 209 interception yards and a whopping five pick-sixes to earn first-team All-Pro honors in just his second year in the league.
He looked like a star on the rise until injuries held him to just seven appearances during the 2024 campaign. Still, expectations were as high as ever entering this season, and after nine games, it's safe to say that he's been quite disappointing.
Cowboys DB DaRon Bland Needs to Step Up
Bland missed a couple of games with an injury, and he hasn't been that big a factor in the seven games he's played so far. He has a 67.5 Pro Football Focus grade, which ranks 35th among eligible cornerbacks. Despite his ball skills and nose for the ball, he's logged just one interception.
Moreover, he was a major liability in the 27-17 loss to the Arizona Cardinals, with Marvin Harrison Jr. breaking his ankles so badly that even CeeDee Lamb couldn't believe his eyes. Harrison torched him for seven catches on ten targets for 96 yards and one score, including a touchdown reception that he'll want to erase from his memory.
Through seven games, Bland has given up the second-highest completion percentage of his career (61.8 percent) after allowing 21 receptions on 31 targets. He's also giving the second-most yards per reception (10.6) in his career, and he's already allowed a couple of touchdowns.
Opposing quarterbacks have an 88.2 passer rating when targeting him, and he's already given up 78 yards after the catch. The Cowboys' defensive miscues clearly aren't solely on him, but he hasn't done much to live up to his reputation as a lockdown defender.
Dallas is currently giving up the second-most total yards (414.8) per game and the third-most passing yards (254.4) per game. They're also giving up 30.8 points per game, the second-most in the league. None of these are recipes for success on the defensive side of the ball.
That's not what the Cowboys signed up for when they gave Bland a four-year contract extension worth $90 million with $50 million guaranteed. He was supposed to be the defensive anchor for the secondary, but it feels like it's a Trevon Diggs-type situation all over again, and the most worrisome part is that he's signed through the 2029 season.
The talent is there, and he has the second half of the season to get back on track. However, judging by what we've seen so far, it's hard to feel encouraged about or satisfied with his play.