FRISCO, Texas — As the days roll along this week, it appears DaRon Bland has a much more realistic chance of making his 2024 debut for the Dallas Cowboys than he did when his initial practice window was activated ahead of the matchup with the Detroit Lions in Week 6.
Having been pulled back after two full practice sessions that week, the record-setting All-Pro cornerback has spent the weeks thereafter attempting to complete his rehab on a surgically-repaired stress fracture in his foot that robbed him of all 10 games this season.
Bland has now completed two full participations in practice this week, a great sign for his odds this weekend and/or Thanksgiving, as is his own assessment of how the foot feels.
"I mean it feels good," he said, after practice on Thursday. "Just be able to practice again, but it felt good to just be back out there practicing and feeling good on the foot."
The reigning leader in interceptions from 2023, Bland contends it wasn't a true setback that caused the delay in his return to the field, but it was instead a matter of being comfortable going full speed at pushing the foot to its limits.
It sounds as if he's finally at that threshold, though.
"Yeah, it's responding better," he said. "I definitely feel more confident on it."
Assuming Bland is medically cleared to take the field against the Washington Commanders in Week 12, it will mark a total of 315 days from when he last played — on Jan. 14 against the Green Bay Packers in last season's playoffs — or a total of 319 days if he's held out until the matchup against the New York Giants on Thanksgiving.
Either way, he says he has zero concerns about being rusty, and it would likely help that, for the first time as a starter, he'd take the field with both Trevon Diggs and Jourdan Lewis.
"Yeah, definitely, shoot — just putting the helmet back on felt good," said Bland.
Some might find it difficult to locate fuel in a season wherein the team has fallen to 3-7, and especially when, physically, your body has prevented you from taking to the field and trying to help prevent that spiral.
Bland is far from mentally checked out though, and he has zero interest in being shut down for the remaining seven games.
"Just keep playing," he said. "Anytime I get a chance to play out there, I don't take it for granted, and that's my motivation."
