The injury bug has taken a nasty bite out of the Cowboys’ starting roster just as the preseason comes to an end.
Starting cornerback DaRon Bland will miss six to eight weeks with a stress fracture in his foot, according to a report from Nick Eatman of dallascowboys.com.
The third-year defensive back, who just last year broke the NFL’s all-time single-season record for interception touchdown returns, apparently began experiencing discomfort on Wednesday.
NFL insider Tom Pelissero went on indicate that Bland will undergo surgery to repair the break, which was confirmed after imaging tests.
Breaking news – DaRon Bland is going to be out 6-8 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot. He suffered the discomfort in camp.
— Nick Eatman (@nickeatman) August 24, 2024
A fifth-round draft pick out of Fresno State in 2022, Bland notched five interceptions as a rookie. He was then thrust into a starting role last season following Trevon Diggs’s ACL tear and finished with a league-leading nine picks. Five of them were returned for touchdowns. Bland was named a first-team All-Pro for his efforts.
[affiliatewidget_smgtolocal]
The injury will further delay getting Diggs and Bland on the field together again, but the Cowboys believe they’ll be in decent shape. Jourdan Lewis remains with the team in his eighth pro campaign, and rookie Caelen Carson turned in a very strong camp. Eric Scott Jr. and newly-acquired veteran Andrew Booth Jr. are also in the mix to make the team’s 53-man roster, along with Kemon Hall, Josh Butler, and Josh DeBerry.
“We’re in great shape at corner because of our young guys coming in,” team owner Jerry Jones said on Dallas radio, per The Athletic‘s Jon Machota. “That’s one of the strengths of our whole team. Our secondary is outstanding.”
The Cowboys’ first eight opponents include several dangerous teams with potent passing attacks: the Browns, Saints, Ravens, Giants, Steelers, Lions, 49ers, and Falcons.
[lawrence-auto-related count=3]
[mm-video type=video id=01j5y02cgewsvd5hww3k playlist_id=01eqbwens7sctqdrqg player_id=none image=https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/video/thumbnail/mmplus/01j5y02cgewsvd5hww3k/01j5y02cgewsvd5hww3k-141d2ddc9d2c8a47fbfae2f848e3fdb0.jpg]
[lawrence-newsletter]