Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Cowboys Announce DaRon Bland News After Missing NFL Playoffs

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Chris Phelps | Last updated Jan 13, 2026 5:37 PM ET

DaRon Bland and the Dallas Cowboys had a 2025 NFL season to forget, finishing with a 7-9-1 record under first-year head coach Brian Schottenheimer and missing the playoffs for a second consecutive season. The Cowboys will now likely undergo some major changes in the offseason, starting with replacing defensive coordinator Matt Eberflus.

In 2025, his first season with Dallas, Eberflus oversaw one of the league’s worst defenses. While the offense ranked near the top of the NFL, the defense struggled across nearly every category, allowing 377.0 yards per game (30th), 251.5 passing yards per game (32nd) and 30.1 points per game (32nd), ultimately leading to Eberflus’ dismissal.

Even Bland, a former first-team All-Pro, saw his production decline after signing a four-year, $92 million extension last offseason, recording 73 tackles, seven passes defended and just one interception in 12 games, two seasons removed from his record-breaking five pick-sixes in 2023.

Dallas Cowboys cornerback DaRon Bland (26) returns an interception for a touchdownTim Heitman-Imagn Images

But in December, Bland had a setback on his injured left foot, specifically the fifth metatarsal bone, which forced him to miss 10 games in 2024. The former Fresno State cornerback was placed on injured reserve ahead of the Cowboys' Week 16 loss to the Los Angeles Chargers, effectively ending his season.

During the 2024 NFL preseason, Bland underwent surgery to address a stress fracture in his left foot, which caused his lengthy absence that year. And on Tuesday, he underwent a second procedure on the same foot to manage the recent setback, a surgery that was successfully performed in Indianapolis by Dr. David Porter.

"On Tuesday morning, Cowboys CB DaRon Bland underwent successful surgery on his left foot in Indianapolis in a procedure done by Dr. David Porter," the Cowboys wrote. "The newest surgery marks the second straight year that Bland has had a procedure done on his left foot. In training camp leading into the 2024 season, Bland suffered a fracture in his left foot, which led to the first surgery."

This morning, #Cowboys CB DaRon Bland underwent a successful surgery in Indianapolis on his left foot in a procedure done by Dr. David Porter.

More: https://t.co/Z5Bk19zNeO pic.twitter.com/kRW9NaVggU
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) January 13, 2026

While Bland hopes to return healthy for the start of the 2026 NFL season, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones ensured the cornerback's hard work to get back on the field.

"He has been everything you could ask for relative to his rehab, relative to his competes," Jones commented in December. "He's done the best that he's had to work with as it turns out with his injury. He's thumbs up."

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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