Jerry Jones optimistic on DaRon Bland timeline
Just hours before kickoff of the Cowboys’ final preseason game, news broke from the team’s PR department that All-Pro Cornerback DaRon Bland would miss the next 6-8 weeks with a foot injury.
Per the team’s statement, Bland felt discomfort in his foot this past Wednesday while the team was still holding training camp practices in Oxnard. Imaging revealed a stress fracture requiring surgery, which will sideline him for up to two months.
Speaking with the media on Saturday night, Cowboys Owner and General Manager Jerry Jones felt Bland was on the more conservative estimate of that recovery timeline.
“I’m glad it’s not for an extended period of time, and so we lose him for four or five games,” Jones said, before underlining that he wasn’t being dismissive of the importance of losing Bland. “It's serious, but the good news is we're going to have him for the meat of the deal. That's the good news.”
If Jones’ belief that Bland will miss just four or five games is correct, it might have occurred at a fortuitous time on the schedule. Dallas’ first five games of the season are against the Browns, Saints, Ravens, Giants, and Steelers. Reigning NFL MVP Lamar Jackson appears to be a daunting task, but the other four opponents enter the 2024 season with long-term questions at the quarterback position.
Bland, a 2022 fifth round pick out of Fresno State, has been one of the NFL’s biggest day three draft steals in the NFL over the last few years. Bland tallied five interceptions as a rookie, and followed that up with a historic sophomore campaign that saw him break the NFL record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown in a season with five.
