The Dallas Cowboys have a handful of players set to play on the final year of their rookie contract. That includes Jake Ferguson, Jalen Tolbert, Sam Williams, and newly-acquired George Pickens. While it’s possible that the Cowboys could extend one or two of these players before the season starts, the smart money is that all of these players will play on the final year of their rookie contract.
That list also includes Daron Bland, the All-Pro cornerback who set the NFL record for most pick-sixes in a single season with five during the 2023 season. Bland had a down year in 2024 after suffering a foot injury during training camp that cost him the first half of the year.
Bland is set to play out the final year of his rookie contract and with another Pro Bowl-caliber season, he could be well on his way to becoming one of the highest-paid defensive backs in league history.
But the only way Bland earns that money is if he can put together another good season. Otherwise, teams might view his 2023 season as fluky and believe he is more of an average starter compared to an elite, shut-down option worth upwards of $25 million per season.
In a recent article by Ryan Smith of Pro Football Focus, he wrote about the five players under the most pressure to perform in a contract year. Coincidentally, that list included George Pickens, but he also wrote about Bland and why this is such a pivotal year for the former fifth-round pick.
Here is a snippet of why Smith believes Bland has the most to gain or lose among any pick from the 2022 NFL Draft:
"Dallas had one of the steals of the 2025 NFL Draft when they selected Eastern Carolina cornerback Shavon Revel 76th overall. The addition of Revel, the 44th-ranked player on PFF's big board, could be a sign that the team doesn’t have the cap space to extend Bland, making it likely he will hit free agency in 2026. Without a new deal, Bland will be the clear top cornerback on the market, but his next deal is contingent on whether he can return to 2023 form."
Ryan Smith, Pro Football Focus
Cowboys desperately need Daron Bland to return to form
The Cowboys need and are desperately relying on Bland to return to form after major injuries to Trevon Diggs, Caelen Carson, Josh Butler, and Revel. The loss of Jourdan Lewis in free agency could signal that Bland will play more in the slot this season, something he did frequently as a rookie.
If Bland can get back to the version we saw in 2022 or 2023, the Cowboys have a chance to have one of the league’s best defenses. Bland has proven to be a playmaker and the hope is that he is fully recovered from his foot injury from last August.
But if he struggles at all, that could be a bad sign for the defense as the secondary just doesn’t have many healthy or proven players in the unit. Not only is this a make-or-break season for Bland, but his overall success will likely determine the ceiling for the Cowboys this year.
