One year from now, Dallas Cowboys cornerback Daron Bland is going to be a very rich dude. In all likelihood, it’s going to happen outside the state of Texas.
Bland heads into the final season of his 4-year, $3.97 million rookie contract having outplayed that money by any metric known to man and PFF’s Mason Cameron has him ranked as the No. 1 free agent cornerback headed into next year.
With the Cowboys already locked into the massive 5-year, $97 million contract extension signed by NFL All-Pro cornerback in Trevon Diggs in March 2023, the odds of Dallas paying both players is pretty much zilch.
“DaRon Bland makes up half of Dallas’ supremely talented cornerback tandem but remains without a deal heading into the 2025 season and reportedly isn’t in talks for one currently,” Cameron wrote on May 7. “To add salt to the wound, the Cowboys spent a Day 2 draft pick at cornerback, likely signaling their budget doesn’t include an extension for Bland.”
Dallas has an embarrassment of riches of cornerback. While Diggs is also a 2-time Pro Bowler and led the NFL with 11 interceptions in 2021, Bland was an NFL All-Pro and Pro Bowler in 2023 when he led the NFL with 9 interceptions in 2023 and set the NFL single season record with 5 interceptions returned for touchdowns.
Bland’s also tied Houston Oilers safety Ken Houston’s NFL record for most defensive touchdowns in a single season set way back in 1971.
Bland Gearing Up For Massive Payday
Bland just needs to stay somewhat healthy and show he can play lockdown defense in 2025 in order to land the payday of a lifetime — Spotrac projects his market value in the neighborhood of a 4-year, $94.2 million free agent contract. That would put Bland among the Top 5 highest paid cornerbacks in the NFL at approximately $23.7 million per season.
Of course, that money could go down if Bland has another season like he did in 2024, when he missed the first 10 games of the season due to a stress fracture in his foot and didn’t have an interception. That money could also go up if he shows he’s still the player who had 14 interceptions over his first 2 seasons.
If Bland can put together another All-Pro or Pro Bowl season, there’s also a universe in which he lands a deal more in line with the 4-year, $100 million contract extension signed by Carolina Panthers cornerback Jaycee Horn on March 10 which included $72 million in guaranteed money.
Another thing that could help Bland’s bank account? Winning games. The Cowboys went 7-10 in 2024 after going 12-5 in his first 2 seasons.
Unlikely Ascension to NFL Superstar CB
Bland spent his first 4 college football seasons at FCS Sacramento State and was an All-Big Sky Conference pick in 2019. He seemed on the verge of realizing his NFL dream before his senior season was moved to the spring of 2021 because of the pandemic.
Instead of rolling the dice on a bizarre spring season, Bland transferred to Fresno State for his final season and cemented his NFL draft stock in 2021 by shining against FBS competition with 45 tackles, 2 interceptions and 5 pass deflections.
The Cowboys selected Bland in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft (No. 167 overall) and watched him start 8 games as a rookie then become the full time starter in 2023 opposite Stephon Gilmore after Diggs’ tore his ACL after 2 games.
