FRISCO, Texas — DaRon Bland is one step closer to returning to the field for the Dallas Cowboys which will, eventually, mark his debut in Mike Zimmer's defense. The First-Team All-Pro cornerback has been sidelined the entire month of September with a foot injury that required surgery to repair, but a specific transaction is evidence of his progress to this point.
On Wednesday, as the Cowboys prepare to host the Detroit Lions, the team has started the clock on the 21-day practice window for Bland. This means he can officially return to practice after re-emerging on the sideline two weeks ago to ramp up his work with trainer Britt Brown, and the Cowboys will have until Oct. 30 to make a decision on his status for the remainder of the 2024 season.
Should Bland not be moved to the active roster by Oct. 30, he will revert to season-ending injured reserve and be lost until 2025.
"Bland will be on a pitch count [in practice on Wednesday," said head coach Mike McCarthy. "But he'll do mostly everything we do today. ... He's been working. It's not like he's all of sudden gonna start working. He's been working with Britt [Brown] and doing all of the football steps, so we'll get him out there and get some work today to see where he is."
It might not take that long for him to suit up again, however, given recent remarks by the Cowboys' front office.
"I think DaRon Bland has a real chance … I don't know if he'll play the whole game but I think he's ready to start mixing it up," said executive vice president and director of player personnel Stephen Jones on Tuesday. "Short of a real setback, DaRon should be ready to dress and help us on the defensive side of the ball and the secondary."
That framing is balanced by McCarthy truly wanting to see how Bland looks in team drills first, though.
"I'm optimistic to see him practice," he said. "It's one day at a time here."
In the absence of Bland, the reigning leader in both pick-sixes and interceptions (in 2023), Zimmer has leaned heavily on rookie fifth-round pick Caelen Carson, but Carson has been sidelined since he suffered a shoulder injury against the Baltimore Ravens, one that prevented him from playing against the New York Giants and the Pittsburgh Steelers. And, with that, the Cowboys were suddenly dealing with another depth issue at cornerback due to injury — something they've become familiar with over the past three seasons.
The exact return date of Bland is still to-be-determined, but he's now taken a massive step toward it happening.
And that could be as early as this coming Sunday against the Lions.
