​Can Cowboys’ highest-paid corner rediscover the form that once made him one of the league’s best originally appeared on The Sporting News. Add The Sporting News as a Preferred Source by clicking here. The money Dallas invested in cornerback DaRon Bland reveals exactly how they arrived at this point. Four days before the 2025 season opener, Dallas locked him into a four-year extension worth up to $92 million, with a base value of $90 million. The deal included a $22 million signing bonus and more than $49.3 million in total guarantees, committing an average of $22.5 million per year. It was a bold wager on a player who dominated the league in 2023, but the results since then have tempered expectations.
Bland’s breakout year is well chronicled. In 2023, he led the NFL with nine interceptions, set a league record with five pick-sixes, and earned first-team All-Pro recognition. That level of production is precisely why Dallas paid him as a top-10 corner. Unfortunately, the Cowboys have not seen that version of Bland consistently since.
The struggles began during 2024 training camp when Bland suffered a broken bone in his left foot, forcing him to miss the first 10 games. When he finally returned for seven games, he did not tally a single interception and finished with only 41 tackles. Dallas still invested in him, betting health was the sole barrier to his peak form.
But the setback repeated itself in 2025, as Bland broke the same bone in the same foot. He fought through the pain and played 12 games, registering a career-high 73 tackles, yet he managed only one interception before his foot finally gave way in December, necessitating an IR placement for another surgery in January.
That situation puts Dallas in a precarious position. Paying substantial money to a player who hasn’t resembled his 2023 self since then is a major gamble. The most realistic expectation now is that Bland return to being the reliable corner he was in 2022, but there is concern that ongoing foot issues could shadow him for the remainder of his career. With Trevon Diggs released on Dec. 30 amid injury and attitude concerns, and Shavon Revel Jr. still developing, Dallas needs its $92 million cornerback to be more than durable. They need him to be a playmaker again. Whether that happens hinges on his ability to keep his foot healthy through training camp.
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