The Dallas Cowboys can't seem to catch a break when it comes to their cornerback rotation. On paper, they have an elite cornerback pairing between DaRon Bland and Trevon Diggs. In practice, however, they have barely been able to put two All-Pro defenders on the field together. Less than a week after the duo played their first game of the season together, Bland is dealing with a familiar and seemingly serious injury.
DaRon Bland Dealing with a Foot Injury Once Again
On Wednesday, Cowboys insider Nick Harris reported that Bland was seen in a boot in the facility. The 26-year-old defender didn't participate in practice, putting his availability for Week 2 and beyond in jeopardy.
This is especially concerning since the Cowboys had a few days of extra rest following their Thursday Night Football defeat against the Eagles. The fact that Bland is nowhere near practicing and is wearing a boot six days after the season opener should be worrisome for Cowboys fans.
In addition, this brings up memories of Bland's past injuries. Bland missed the first ten games of the season last year with a stress fracture in his left foot. It was initially deemed a six-to-eight week injury before the season, but Bland's season debut was postponed until Week 11, when the Cowboys' season had already gotten out of hand.
This comes on the heels of a four-year, $92 million contract extension for Bland two weeks ago, which made him the sixth-highest paid cornerback in the league. This deal was based on Bland's 2023 season when he erupted for nine interceptions and five touchdowns, making his case as the NFL's premier ballhawk. This excited Cowboys fans who once thought that they might have one of the best cornerback units in the league.
Unfortunately, however, the odds of Diggs and Bland ever reaching those heights are dwindling by the day. The Cowboys' Bland saga is reminiscent of what the organization went through with Diggs. In the 2023 offseason, Diggs had signed a five-year, $97 million extension before tearing his ACL two games into the season. While Diggs has done his best to return to his pre-injury form, he has been dealing with nagging injuries ever since, being limited to 11 games last season before undergoing knee surgery.
It sounds like Bland will likely miss the Week 2 outing against the Giants. Cowboys fans will hope that Bland can return sooner rather than later as they desperately want to avoid the repetition of last season.