The Dallas Cowboys will have to perform some gymnastics to get cap-compliant in 2026, but the idea that they won't have much cap space to work with in the offseason simply isn't true.
Having said that, Jerry Jones has seen several big contract extensions blow up in his face. The Cowboys bit the bullet by releasing Trevon Diggs just three years after signing him to a $97.5 million extension, and there’s already mounting speculation that $83.5 million right tackle Terence Steele could be next.
The Cowboys are hopeful that cornerback DaRon Bland isn't heading down a similar path. Bland had a really disappointing season after signing a four-year, $92 million extension in August, and he's set to undergo his second foot surgery in as many years.
Jones was asked about his level of concern with Bland after Wednesday's end-of-season press conference, and he did not pull any punches (h/t to Jon Machota of The Athletic).
"I'm not a doctor, but I don't like that, at all. I don't like the sound of that. You have to watch feet, relative to the future."
Cowboys' Jerry Jones sends unmistakable message to DaRon Bland
The hope is that Bland will be fully healthy in 2026.
After it was discovered that he needed surgery, he admitted that the foot had been bothering him for most of the year. That might explain why Bland's performance left a lot to be desired. That, and the fact that not a single player improved under Matt Eberflus.
That wasn't the only "shot" Jones took at the $92 million cornerback. In lamenting letting Jourdan Lewis leave last offseason, Jones admitted that Bland wasn't up to the task of replacing Lewis.
"…The number one thing was we thought -- when we lost our nickel (Lewis) last year -- we could Bland in and out, and get him going back and forth. He wasn't quite as suited to getting inside and being a nickel as we thought he would be."
That's a little harsh from the 83-year-old owner. For starters, Bland hadn't played more than 105 snaps in the nickel since his rookie season in 2022. He was awesome in that role, filling in for the injured Lewis.
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The 2025 season was a much different story due to the state of Dallas' CB room. Bland played 200 snaps in the nickel compared to 441 on the outside, per Pro Football Focus (subscription required). Reddy Steward, who was brought in after roster cuts, led the defense with 348 nickel snaps. It's not like Bland was the full-time nickel. For context, Lewis played 606 nickel snaps last year.
The Cowboys could convert DaRon Bland to a full-time nickel as soon as next season if they come out of the 2026 NFL Draft with one of the top cornerbacks in the class. In that scenario, the rookie and Shavon Revel Jr. would start on the outside, with Bland kicking inside.
Bland's skill set is best suited to play more in the nickel. The hope is that a clean bill of health, more positional stability, and a competent defensive coordinator will lead to improved play from the former All-Pro.
Jones isn't wrong to want more from his star CB, but a lot of variables were at play that contributed to his disappointing year.