$92M star's latest injury exposes Cowboys' depth issue at vital position

How DaRon Bland's latest setback impacts Cowboys

Bland — who signed a four-year, $92M deal before the start of the season — missed 10 games last season because of a stress fracture in his left foot. This injury doesn't sound as severe, but it's still bad news for a Cowboys defense that's still adjusting to life without edge-rusher Micah Parsons. Dallas, of course, traded him to the Green Bay Packers before the start of the season. 

When healthy, Bland has proved he's among the NFL's better defensive backs. In 2023, he set an NFL record for pick-sixes (five in 17 games) in a season. The 2022 fifth-rounder looked solid in Dallas' 24-20 Week 1 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles, posting an above-average 70.4 Pro Football Focus coverage grade. 

Dallas lacks a clear replacement for the 2023 first-team All-Pro. Second-year CB Reddy Steward is listed as his backup. The 24-year-old had previously been on the Chicago Bears' and the Minnesota Vikings' practice squads. Per Archer, the Cowboys may call up CB Zion Childress, who made the initial 53-man roster, from the practice squad this week.

CB Trevon Diggs, meanwhile, is still ramping up his workload after undergoing left knee surgery in January. According to PFF, the 2021 first-team All-Pro played 26 snaps against the Eagles. 

"Just a little bit more than last week, I feel like, is the best and smartest and safest thing to do," Diggs said of his workload in Week 2 on Wednesday. "I feel like just increasing it a couple more plays and just working my way slowly." 

The Cowboys are lucky they're hosting the New York Giants, led by beleaguered quarterback Russell Wilson, on Sunday. In its 21-6 Week 1 loss to the Washington Commanders, New York failed to score a TD. Per Stats Perform, it's the first team since the 1940-42 Detroit Lions to fail to score a TD in three straight season openers. 

If Dallas were playing a stronger team with a better QB, its secondary wouldn't be ready for the matchup. Clearly, the Cowboys must find reinforcements for the unit soon.