To be fair to the Cowboys, the $92 million contract, over four years, given to cornerback DaRon Bland is not quite a $92 million contract. The deal has $49 million guaranteed, and the Cowboys can wriggle out of it after the 2026 season if there are some regrets about the team’s commitment.
And there may be some cause for regret. We are, after all, two years removed from Bland’s stunning 2023 season, when he not only led the league with nine interceptions but also set a league record with five interceptions returned for a touchdown. Since then, he had an injury-shortened showing in 2024, when he suffered a foot injury in camp and missed the first 10 games, and has had a less-than-impressive start to 2025.
Bland was given his big new extension this offseason. He has had one interception this year, and has been solid in coverage, but not great. He is allowing quarterbacks an 88.2 rating on passes thrown his way and, after being rated the No. 2 corner in the NFL by Pro Football Focus in 2023, he dropped to 33rd last year and just 47th out of 107 this year.
DaRon Bland’s Contract Is No. 5 Among CBs
Contract-wise, Bland rates No. 5 in the NFL at his position, so there is certainly some room for regret there for the Cowboys. Owner Jerry Jones, who gave Bland the big contract this summer, insisted on Tuesday, though, that he does not regret the deal.
“100% no,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan in Dallas when asked about the contract. “No. Boy, I like what he does. And I like some of the things he has done.”
Still, there is no doubt that the Cowboys, despite having two of the highest-paid cornerbacks in the NFL–Trevon Diggs is on a five-year, $97 million deal–have had one of the worst coverage units in the league. The Cowboys give up 30.8 points and 254.4 yards passing per game this season, both of which rank in the NFL’s bottom three.
Cowboys Need More From DaRon Bland, Others
Certainly, if the Cowboys are to turn around their season, getting more from Bland will be a key. But his contract might not be the biggest regret the Cowboys have on the current roster, especially on the defensive side of the ball. That honor likely belongs to the drafting of defensive lineman Mazi Smith, the Cowboys’ first-round pick in 2023, who was again a healthy scratch on Monday.
No regrets there, either, Jones said.
“I am reminded of the great coach Tom Landry who said, don’t ever give up on a defensive lineman,” he noted. “He was specifically talking about defensive linemen, until you’ve seen a good three years. They’ll surprise you and they’ll come around late.”
Smith is in Year 3, of course, having started 17 games in 2024 but fallen off entirely this year–he has appeared in only five games, for a total of 89 defensive snaps this season.
Cowboys Adding to Defense
Still, Jones acknowledged that his team, at 3-5-1, has been disappointing even as he is attempting to right the ship here at the NFL trade deadline. The Cowboys pulled off a major trade in the morning, acquiring linebacker Logan Wilson from the Bengals.
The bigger problem may well be that the team just does not have the defensive talent on hand this year. But Jones says the combination of an increase in talent and better execution could well turn things around in Dallas.
“It’s always both,” he said. “That’s not a trite answer, you always can deal with extraordinary abilities and it could be one that was not mentioned and that’s availability. Availability for a player. And that can bite you, it bites teams every day and it’s bitten us. You’re supposed to be able to overcome it.
“Ability, availability and then execution. And the attitude that you bring when you do execute, the attitude you do it with is important.”
Cowboys’ Jerry Jones Claps Back on Regrets About $92 Million Decision