Obviously, the Dallas Cowboys are entering the 2026 season with heightened expectations. On the high end, they’re being talked about as Super Bowl contenders, which is a bit rich for a team coming off back-to-back seven-win seasons. Getting back to the playoffs and maybe even winning a tougher NFC East would be more sensible goals, but no matter what you see as this team’s ceiling, you’d have to agree that health will be a major factor. And no one knows that more than All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland.
It’s easy to forget just how critical injuries were to the Cowboys’ epic defensive struggles in 2025, and Bland’s issue was at the top of the list. He had a fracture in his left foot that has proven to be stubborn. He first suffered that injury, in training camp in 2024, after his spectacular showing in 2023, when he intercepted nine passes, and returned a record five of them for touchdowns.
Bland was never quite right after training camp in 2024, though, and the injury recurred last summer. He again required surgery this year, after Bland played only 19 games in the past two seasons, and allowed an unsightly passer rating of 104.3 over those seasons.
DaRon Bland Back on Field
On Wednesday, Bland was back out on the field for the Cowboys in training camp at Oxnard, and to the surprise of many, was able to go full-bore during his reps. He is still getting his conditioning up, having missed spring practices, but when he is on the field he has no restrictions.
And Bland’s review of his time on the field was positive–he understands the Cowboys are being cautious but he said he feels no limitations.
“I feel really good. I am just ready to go, it’s been a long time coming for me. I feel like it’s been, last time was December since I’ve been on the field, so it feels good to be out here,” he said. “I feel way better now than I was the first time I had the surgery. It feels real good right now to be back. I’m confident. Through the whole rehab I didn’t have no hiccups like I did last time, so it feels way stronger.”
Cowboys Season Was Frustrating
Bland did point out, too, that until his last two years with the Cowboys, he had never really been injured before, not to the point where he had to miss considerable time. It was a new experience, and watching the Dallas D collapse around him was especially tough.
As he noted: “It was very frustrating, because it was also my first ever injury to be able to miss games like that, so it was real frustrating to try get back on the field. You know, I am always one guy who is going to try to push himself to try to get better and so it’s hard to take that step back.
“It was teal motivating. I am trying to get back to my real self and just be ready, feel comfortable. Just go out there and down what I’ve got to do, take it day by day.”
Cowboys All-Pro Gives Injury Update After ‘Frustrating’ Year