Can Cowboys' highest-paid corner rediscover the form that made him one of the best in the league

The money Dallas gave to cornerback DaRon Bland explains exactly how they got here. 

Four days before the 2025 season opener, Dallas locked him down with a four-year extension worth up to $92 million, carrying a base value of $90 million. The deal featured a $22 million signing bonus and over $49.3 million in total guarantees. 

Paying him an average annual salary of $22.5 million was a massive bet on a player who dominated the league in 2023, but it hasn’t looked like a great investment since.

Bland's breakout year is well-documented. In 2023, he led the NFL with nine interceptions, set a league record with five pick-sixes, and earned first-team All-Pro honors. That production is the sole reason Dallas paid him like a top-10 corner. Unfortunately, the Cowboys haven't seen that version of Bland much since.

The trouble started back in 2024 training camp when Bland cracked a bone in his left foot, forcing him to miss the first 10 games. When he finally got back on the field for seven games, he didn't catch a single interception and finished with just 41 tackles. Dallas paid him anyway, betting that his health was the only thing holding him back.

Instead, he broke the exact same bone in the same foot in 2025. Bland actually toughed it out and played through the pain for 12 games, even racking up a career-high 73 tackles. But he only managed one interception before his foot finally gave out in December, sending him to IR for another surgery in January.

That leaves Dallas in a tough spot. Giving real money to a guy who hasn't looked like his 2023 version since then is a massive gamble. Hoping he can be the reliable corner he was back in 2022 is the most realistic demand, but it is worrying that these foot injuries are going to plague him for the rest of his career.

With Trevon Diggs waived on Dec. 30 due to injuries and attitude concerns, and Shavon Revel Jr. still finding his footing, Dallas needs its $92 million cornerback to be more than just durable. They actually need him to be a playmaker again. Whether that happens depends entirely on his foot holding up through training camp.

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