All-Pro Cowboys CB Daron Bland now has timeline on return
By the way, DaRon Bland had his surgery to fix the stress fracture in his left foot on Monday. 6-8 week recovery period.
— Todd Archer (@toddarcher) August 27, 2024
Lost in the shuffle of seemingly endless roster moves throughout the NFL, Cowboys All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland underwent successful surgery to repair the stress fracture on his foot on Monday. Dallas estimates his recovery time to be around six to eight weeks, and now that the surgery is complete, the clock on his return can be started.
The short end of the spectrum would have him return for Sunday Night Football on the road against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5.
With roster gymnastics already underway, Bland appears destined to be one of two players the Cowboys place on injured reserve designated to return. NFL teams can do this without burning spots on the initial 53-man roster. That would keep him off the roster for a minimum of the first four weeks of the regular season.
Cowboys fans will have to wait before getting to see their pair of All-Pro corners play opposite each other. CB Trevon Diggs was lost for the season last year after he tore his left ACL in practice. The pair have only suited for 19 games together with 17 of those coming in 2022, Bland’s rookie season.
In two seasons, the injured cornerback has already accumulated 14 interceptions.
Bland led the league in interceptions last season with nine, including a record-breaking five returned for a touchdown. Standout rookie fourth-round cornerback Caelon Carson is expected to replace him for the time being.
Those expecting a correlating roster move may be surprised as Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn’t anticipate any additions to the current group.
“Not at all, not in any way,” Jones said. “Not at all. The good news is that we have some guys that have played well in camp. We won’t be looking at all.”
Jones’s comments may suggest that the team expects a return closer to the six-week mark rather than two full months.
Week 7 is Dallas’ scheduled bye week giving the team a few options for his return. The Cowboys could have him play week six against the Lions and use the bye week to see how his foot responds.
The team could opt to wait to activate him before their Week 8 matchup against the 49ers in an effort to give him extra time to heal.
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