The Dallas Cowboys are one of the least proactive teams in the NFL when it comes to contract extensions. Look no further than how they are handling the Micah Parsons deal, as he is set to play on the fifth-year option in 2025, assuming no contract progress is made.
However, Dallas would be wise to lock up one of their young stars after a concerning update from Jerry Jones. Speaking in the post-draft press conference, Jones conceded that Trevon Diggs did not attack his ACL rehab properly, which had a major impact on his 2024 season and his current injury. The hope is that Diggs is being more diligent in his rehab and that appears to be the case.
Jerry Jones on when Cowboys CB Trevon Diggs (knee) could return: “We have a good idea. He’s working hard. That’s very important because if he will be very good and diligent in his rehab process then he’ll get back quicker. And when he does get back, he’ll be sounder. If he has…
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) April 27, 2025
It's very likely that Diggs will start the 2025 season on the Physical Unable to Perform (PUP) list, meaning that he would miss the first four games of the season, at minimum. However, it’s more likely that he returns in November, as Diggs is coming off a major knee injury for the second season in a row.
That puts a lot of pressure on Daron Bland, the former All-Pro cornerback entering the final year of his contract. Like Diggs, Bland suffered a significant injury last season and missed a good majority of the year. He was never able to regain his All-Pro form, but he is still a very talented cornerback whom Dallas needs to hold onto for the foreseeable future.
With the status of Diggs up in the air for the 2025 season and beyond, signing Bland to a contract extension now would be a wise move for the front office. Because he was a mid-Day 3 pick, his 2025 cap number would likely increase in a big way should a deal get done. But the Cowboys have over $37 million in cap space and should consider getting a contract done now before his price goes up.
We’ve already seen a significant increase in the cornerback market over the last year after Jaycee Horn, Patrick Surtain II, and Derek Stingley Jr. received new deals. Waiting is only going to cost the Cowboys more and the uncertainty with Diggs makes a new deal even more pressing.
The Cowboys have little cornerback depth behind Bland, and they have multiple defensive backs returning from season-ending injuries (Diggs, Josh Butler, Caelen Carson, Shavon Revel Jr.). He is the one player they can count on in their back seven, and it’s time to lock up Bland before he gets even more expensive.
But with no contract talks currently happening, it’s fair to expect that Bland will play the 2025 season on his final year of his deal with the expectation he’ll be a free agent in 2026. The Cowboys would have the option to place the franchise tag on him, but that would guarantee him nearly $22 million in 2026 alone. Instead, Dallas should lock him up now to a similar number and save themselves the hassle of another long, drawn-out contract negotiation next offseason.
