Dallas Cowboys cornerback, DaRon Bland
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Dallas Cowboys cornerback, DaRon Bland
The Dallas Cowboys have made quick use of their saved cap space from trading away edge rusher, Micah Parsons, to the Green Bay Packers, as – per Jay Glazer – they have signed cornerback, DaRon Bland to a four year deal.
Scoopage: Cowboys agreed to terms on new four year extension with Daron Bland @NFLonFOX
— Jay Glazer (@JayGlazer) August 31, 2025
The deal will reportedly be worth $92 million dollars, with $50 million of it guaranteed, and makes Bland the sixth highest paid corner in the league by average annual salary – coming in at $23 million, just under the $24 million made by the Denver Broncos‘ reigning Defensive Player of the Year, Pat Surtain II.
DaRon Bland Becomes One Of The Highest Paid Corners In Football
Bland, who was a Pro Bowler and first-team All-Pro back in 2023, was always going to be one of the Cowboys’ key extension targets post the Parsons trade. Now that the defensive end, who received $47 million per year from Green Bay, need not be accounted for, other Pro Bowl and All-Pro caliber players have a clear route to a continued stay in Dallas.
The former fifth round pick missed seven games last season after suffering a stress fracture during 2024 training camp, after coming off a highly impressive 9 interception and 5 pick-six season – the latter of which became an NFL record – in 2023.
Now he gets his due, going into what was a contract year for the former Fresno State man.
Where Position Will Bland Play In 2025?
Bland has played a combination of snaps on both the inside and outside throughout his career. At present, he is listed as the nickel corner, with fellow All-Pro, Trevon Diggs and ex-Bills first round pick, Kair Elam – who has reportedly excelled during camp – taking over the outside role.
However, Bland’s contract size implies that spend at least some time on the outside, rather than solely in the slot. For contrast, the highest paid inside cornerback, the Chicago Bears‘ Kyler Gordon, makes around $13.3 million per year – almost a full $10 million less on AAV.
So it is safe to say that – assuming the deal is not cut surprisingly short for any particular reason – Bland will be given opportunities both on the inside and outside. At the very least – in a similar way to the Ravens’ Marlon Humphrey, who was moved to the interior in 2024 after spending the entirety of his time in the pros prior on the outside – Bland can provide high-level cover on the outside.
We could still see some action from Bland on the exterior on the now-rare occasions that the defense goes into base coverage, but all signs indicate that, at least for 2025, the majority of the now highly compensated cornerback’s work will be done inside.
Irregardless, this is a great coup for Dallas, who lock up one of the best young players prior to having to go one the dreaded franchise tag that Cowboys fans have gotten all too accustomed to over the past few years.