FRISCO, Texas — It’s been one step forward, two steps back for Dallas Cowboys first-team All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland as he recovers from a stress fracture in his foot that occurred during the final week of camp of training.
Bland, who led the NFL with nine interceptions in 2023 and set an NFL single-season pick record of six (five), seemed close to returning in Week 6 against the Detroit Lions. He practiced thoroughly on both Wednesday and Thursday of that week before being ruled out.
He returned to fully participating in a non-tutorial practice for the first time since that week on Thursday, and noticed a legitimate difference between how his foot feels now and a few weeks ago.
“It feels good to be back in practice. It feels good to be back practicing and feeling good on my foot,” Bland said. “Yeah, [it’s] responding better, but I definitely feel more confident about it. … Overall, I always felt very frustrated simply because it was my first injury. “So being away for so long took a toll on me, so I got a little frustrated.”
When the injury occurred in August, it was anticipated that Bland would return to the field at this point in the season. Despite the longer-than-expected recovery time, Bland insisted he had no “setbacks” in his efforts to return to the game.
“No, I wouldn’t call it that,” Bland said when asked if he had a setback. “I’m just trying to get more comfortable and get a feel for it. Honestly, I couldn’t say how long it was going to take. I just hoped it would get better. I just hoped I’d get back out there.”
Bland doesn’t seem to be dealing with any rust despite not playing in a game since the Cowboys’ postseason loss to the Packers in January. Lining up next to Pro Bowl cornerback Trevon Diggs and stable nickel cornerback Jourdan Lewis probably influences that confidence a bit.
“Even putting the helmet back on made me feel good. I’m a guy who can’t sit still for too long,” Bland said. “It’s definitely been tough, especially being on the sideline, watching from home and just not being able to do the things that I normally do for my guys.”
However, maintaining his cardio and endurance while dealing with a foot injury has challenged his ability to curb the rust factor.
“You’re trying to do things to not take all the weight, so it’s like [stationary bikes]hydro-aquatic exercises and things like that.”
It remains to be seen if Bland has recovered enough to make his season debut for the 3-7 Cowboys on Sunday against the Washington Commanders.
“I can’t say yet,” Bland said.
The determining factor for Bland’s return is to constantly feel good, something that has not been easy throughout his recovery process.
“There were ups and downs with it because some days I feel like, ‘oh, I’ve got it,’ and then the next day I’m like, ‘okay, it’s a little aggravating.'” Most of the time I feel good,” Bland said.
If Bland plays, he will have an “interesting” matchup with Commanders head coach Dan Quinn, his defensive coordinator during his first two seasons in Dallas. Bland admitted that he still misses Quinn and her energy.
“They are [Washington] different with the special crime [with quarterback Jayden Daniels]but Dan Quinn is also there. “He knows the type of person I am there, so it will be very interesting,” Bland said. “He’s a guy who drafted me on defense, so coming in, I learned the game from him. It was a big thing for me. As a coach he takes it to another level. He’s not just trying to be your coach. He’s trying to be a mentor, your brother. So someone who tries to be there for you at all times.”
Each time he returns, Bland looks to recapture the first-team All-Pro level of play he established last season. He generated nine takeaways of his own in 2023, all coming from interceptions. That’s the same amount of takeaways the 2024 Dallas Cowboys defense as a whole possesses without him.
“We miss him, number one,” Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said of Bland on Wednesday. “It will be great to have him back, but it has been a difficult return for him. I just hope he can cross that threshold. Today [Wednesday’s walkthrough] It was a great day having him there. Every injury is different. He’s the type who will do anything to get out. Hopefully I can complete the process.”
“I’m just trying to continue my level of play,” Bland said with a smile.
