Cowboys' DaRon Bland to Have Surgery on Foot Injury, Out 6-8 Weeks

The Dallas Cowboys will be without DaRon Bland to start the 2024 season.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported that the cornerback is set to "undergo surgery for a stress fracture in his foot" and that he will be unavailable for six to eight weeks.

Bland is entering his third season in the NFL. The 25-year-old was named a first-team All-Pro in 2023 and earned his first Pro Bowl selection.

Bland made a league-high nine interceptions in 2023 and returned five for touchdowns. He also registered 69 tackles and 15 pass deflections. He made 15 starts and picked up the slack after Trevon Diggs went down for the season with a torn ACL.

The roles appear to be reversing for the start of the 2024 season, as Diggs will make his return and will hope to replace the production from Bland to start the season.

The Cowboys defense is one of the strongest in the NFL but losing Bland for significant time will be an obstacle the team has to overcome early in the season. Dallas went 12-5 in 2023 and won the NFC East.

The Cowboys will open the season without Bland on Sept. 8 against the Cleveland Browns.