The Dallas Cowboys will be without star cornerback DaRon Bland for a large part of the year as the team has announced that he was diagnosed with a stress fracture in his foot.
Bland reportedly felt discomfort during training camp on Wednesday, and imaging revealed that the 2023 All-Pro cornerback sustained the stress fracture in his foot, according to NFL.com.
The Cowboys will now be without one of the best cornerbacks in the league for the beginning of the season as Bland is expected to be sidelined for roughly six to eight weeks due to the injury.
Bland is coming off the best season of his young career since joining the NFL in 2022, collecting 69 total tackles and leading the entire league with nine interceptions.
This high-level performance throughout the season also involved Bland etching his name into history as he returned an NFL record five of his interceptions for touchdowns, as previously reported by The Dallas Express.
The news of Bland’s injury is devastating for a Cowboys team already thin at the cornerback position after Stephon Gilmore signed a one-year contract with the Minnesota Vikings.
Dallas will now likely rely on rookie cornerback Caelen Carson to immediately step into a starting role on the team alongside Trevon Diggs, who made his return from a torn ACL suffered early in the 2023 season.
While many could be concerned about America’s Team playing a fifth-round rookie to begin the season, starting nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis had high praise for Carson as the season approaches.
“I’ve seen [Trevon Diggs], I’ve seen [DaRon Bland] come into the league and how they prepare for training camp and OTAs,” he said, per The Cowboys.
“[Caelen Carson] is very similar to those guys’ approach. He’s calm and collected when he’s on the field playing. He’s cut from that same cloth.”
Another option for the Cowboys will be Andrew Booth Jr., who the team acquired in a trade in August and has reportedly had one of the best training camps of any defensive back on the team.
Bland’s injury is almost guaranteed to keep him out for the first four weeks of the regular season, though he could miss more time depending on the recovery and rehab process that he will undergo.
Although America’s Team went just 1-2 during the preseason, the team showcased multiple elements of their offense and defense that could excite fans about the upcoming season.
Dallas will officially begin the 2024 regular season on September 8, when the team travels to Cleveland to take on the Browns.