Maybe it is not just the foot injury. Coming into the 2026 NFL season, that was the hope for the Dallas Cowboys, that the broken bone in the foot of star cornerback DaRon Bland–a injury that suffered a setback and required another surgery last year–was the source of his rapid decline over the past two seasons.
Bland, of course, had a brilliant breakout season in 2023, when he intercepted nine passes and returned five of them for touchdowns, setting an NFL record and earning an All-Pro selection in the process. But he broke the bone in his foot the following year, and the surgery didn’t entirely fix the problem. Still, the Cowboys gave him a massive $92 million contract while he was rehabbing.
The investment was a dud. Bland’s quarterback rating when he is targeted jumped from 60.8 in 2023 to 105.7 in 2024 and 103.3 in 2025.
DaRon Bland Allowed a 153.3 Passer Rating vs. Houston
But Bland underwent another surgery in the winter, and the idea was that once the foot was fixed, he would back to his All-Pro self for the Cowboys. But that’s not quite what’s happened here in 2026. Bland was repeatedly picked on by Nico Collins, CJ Stroud and the Texans offense, a sight that’s become all too familiar.
He is allowing a stunning quarterback rating of 129.5 this year, after giving up a rating of 153.3 against Houston. Bland’s spot in the starting lineup probably is safe, but only because Cobie Durant remains injured. There may need to be some hard decisions made on Bland if he does not improve drastically.
Cowboys ‘Not as Concerned’
But, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said on Wednesday that his concern level about Bland is not all that high, and that the addition of Joey Porter should help Bland down the line.
Said Jones: “I think Bland just got better absent injury, when you get Porter out there. Just has a chance to get better. That’s tough duty out there when you’re being picked on. That was not unexpected. You can see that if you get some of these great receivers, they can make an honest man out of you no matter what your skill level is.
“I am not as—I understand how our fans can be concerned. You hate to see those early mistakes, like we got right off the bat in Houston. But I am not as concerned as you might think. I think Bland, given what is on the way, with our injury situation plus the advent of Porter, I think we’ve got some relief here.”
Cowboys Defend $92 Million All-Pro Amid ‘Concerning’ Struggles