.jpg) Bland with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025 | |||||||||||||||
| No. 26 – Dallas Cowboys | |||||||||||||||
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| Position | Cornerback | ||||||||||||||
| Roster status | Active | ||||||||||||||
| Personal information | |||||||||||||||
| Born | July 12, 1999 Modesto, California, U.S. | ||||||||||||||
| Listed height | 6 ft 0 in (1.83 m) | ||||||||||||||
| Listed weight | 197 lb (89 kg) | ||||||||||||||
| Career information | |||||||||||||||
| High school | Central Catholic (Modesto) | ||||||||||||||
| College |
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| NFL draft | 2022: 5th round, 167th overall pick | ||||||||||||||
| Career history | |||||||||||||||
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| Awards and highlights | |||||||||||||||
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| Career NFL statistics as of 2025 | |||||||||||||||
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DaRon Bland (/dəˈrɒn/ də-RON;[1] born July 12, 1999) is an American professional football cornerback for the Dallas Cowboys of the National Football League (NFL). He played college football for the Sacramento State Hornets before transferring to the Fresno State Bulldogs. The Cowboys selected Bland in the fifth round of the 2022 NFL draft. In 2023, he led the NFL with 9 interceptions and set the NFL single-season record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown with five; this also tied Ken Houston's record for the most defensive touchdowns in a single season.[2]
Early life
Bland grew up in Modesto, California, and attended Central Catholic High School, playing receiver on the football team as well as running track and field.[3][4] He was named the Valley Oak League Defensive Player of the Year as a senior.[5]
College career
Bland began his college career at Sacramento State. As a junior, he was named first-team All-Big Sky Conference after recording 43 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and forced fumbles with two interceptions and eight passes broken up.[6] After his senior season was canceled and moved to the spring of 2021 due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Bland entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.[7] Bland ultimately committed to transfer to Fresno State.[8] In his only season with the Bulldogs, he recorded 45 tackles with five passes defended and two interceptions in 13 games played.[9]
College statistics
| Season | GP | Tackles | Interceptions | Fumbles | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Solo | Ast | Cmb | TfL | Sck | Int | Yds | Avg | TD | PD | FR | FF | TD | ||
| Sacramento State Hornets | ||||||||||||||
| 2017 | 7 | 5 | 3 | 2 | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| 2018 | 10 | 33 | 11 | 44 | 3.0 | 0.0 | 1 | 47 | 47.0 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| 2019 | 13 | 30 | 13 | 43 | 6.5 | 1.0 | 2 | 43 | 21.5 | 0 | 10 | 1 | 1 | 0 |
| 2020 | 0 | Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic | ||||||||||||
| Fresno State Bulldogs | ||||||||||||||
| 2021 | 13 | 34 | 11 | 45 | 1.0 | 0.0 | 2 | 38 | 19.0 | 0 | 5 | 0 | 1 | 0 |
| Career | 43 | 102 | 38 | 140 | 10.5 | 1.0 | 5 | 128 | 25.6 | 0 | 21 | 1 | 3 | 0 |
Professional career
| Height | Weight | Arm length | Hand span | 40-yard dash | 10-yard split | 20-yard split | 20-yard shuttle | Three-cone drill | Vertical jump | Broad jump | Bench press | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 6 ft 0+1⁄4 in (1.84 m) |
197 lb (89 kg) |
32 in (0.81 m) |
9 in (0.23 m) |
4.48 s | 1.55 s | 2.59 s | 4.15 s | 7.26 s | 35.5 in (0.90 m) |
10 ft 3 in (3.12 m) |
14 reps | |
| All values from Pro Day[10] | ||||||||||||
2022 season
The Dallas Cowboys selected Bland in the fifth round (167th overall) of the 2022 NFL draft. He was the 23rd cornerback drafted in 2022.[11][12]
On May 13, 2022, the Dallas Cowboys signed Bland to a four-year, $3.96 million contract that includes a signing bonus of $304,788.[13]
Throughout training camp, Bland competed against Kelvin Joseph, Nahshon Wright, and Jourdan Lewis for a role as the primary backup cornerback and slot cornerback.[14] Head coach Mike McCarthy named him the fifth cornerback on the depth chart to start his rookie season, behind Trevon Diggs, Anthony Brown, Jourdan Lewis, and Kelvin Joseph. He was also named the backup slot cornerback behind Lewis.[15] Although Bland wore No. 30 throughout training camp, he opted to switch to No. 26 after it became available when Kyron Brown was released during final roster cuts.
On September 11, 2022, Bland made his professional regular season debut, but appeared only on special teams during a 3–19 loss in the home-opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. On October 2, 2022, Bland saw his first action on defense after Jourdan Lewis was sidelined due to a groin injury.[16] He made three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and his first career interception on a pass attempt to Curtis Samuel by quarterback Carson Wentz in the fourth quarter of a 25–10 win over the Washington Commanders.[17] On October 24, 2022, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn promoted Bland to starting nickelback in place of Lewis, who was placed on injured reserve for the rest of the season after sustaining a lisfranc injury.[18] In Week 10, Bland earned his first career start at nickelback and recorded six combined tackles (five solo) in a 28–31 loss at the Green Bay Packers. On December 4, 2022, he collected a season-high eight combined tackles (four solo), deflected two passes, and made a season-high two interceptions off pass attempts by Matt Ryan as the Cowboys defeated the Indianapolis Colts 54–19.[19][20] In Week 15, he made six combined tackles (four solo), a pass deflection, and intercepted Trevor Lawrence to mark his fourth of the season in a 34–40 loss at the Jacksonville Jaguars. The following week, he made five combined tackles (four solo), a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Gardner Minshew to mark his fifth of the season in a 40-34 win against the Philadelphia Eagles. His five interceptions set an NFL record for most interceptions by a rookie.[21] He finished the season with 54 combined tackles (38 solo), seven pass deflections, and five interceptions in 17 games and 8 starts.[22]
The Dallas Cowboys earned a playoff berth as a wildcard after ending the regular season second in the NFC East with a 12–5 record. On January 16, 2023, Bland started in his first playoff appearance and made seven combined tackles (three solo) during a 31–14 victory at the Tampa Bay Buccaneers in the NFC Wildcard Game. The following week, he collected a season-high 11 combined tackles (seven solo) and deflected a pass as the Cowboys were eliminated from the playoffs as the San Francisco 49ers defeated them 12–19 in the NFC Divisional Round.
2023 season
During training camp, he competed to be the primary backup cornerback against Kelvin Joseph and Nahshon Wright after Jourdan Lewis missed camp while he recovered from surgery and due to the departure of Anthony Brown. Head coach Mike McCarthy listed Bland as the third cornerback on the depth chart to begin the season, behind starters Trevon Diggs and Stephon Gilmore.
On September 10, 2023, Bland made three solo tackles, a pass deflection, and returned an interception by Daniel Jones 22-yards to score his first touchdown during a 40–0 win at the New York Giants. The pass was intended for Saquon Barkley, before it was broken up by Trevon Diggs and caught by Bland.[23] On September 23, 2023, the Dallas Cowboys placed Trevon Diggs on injured reserve due to a torn ACL and in turn, defensive coordinator Dan Quinn named Bland his replacement as an outside starting cornerback alongside Stephon Gilmore.[24]
In Week 4, Bland recorded four combined tackles (three solo), three pass deflections, two interceptions, and a touchdown in a 38–3 win over the New England Patriots. His two interceptions were thrown by Mac Jones and he scored his second touchdown after intercepting a pass to Kendrick Bourne and returned it for a 54-yard touchdown in the second quarter.[25] On October 29, 2023, he made seven combined tackles (six solo), two pass deflections, and intercepted a pass by Matthew Stafford, while covering Cooper Kupp, and took it for a 30-yard touchdown as Dallas defeated the Los Angeles Rams 43–20. Bland's third touchdown in Week 7 set the Cowboys' franchise record for single-season interceptions returned for a touchdown previously held by five other players.[26]
On November 19, 2023, Bland had five combined tackles (two solo), a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass from Bryce Young and returned it for his fourth interception return for a touchdown of the year, tying the NFL single-season record and the Cowboys career record during a 33–10 win at the Carolina Panthers. Bland was named NFC Defensive Player of the Week for his performance.[27] On November 23, 2023, Bland collected a season-high ten combined tackles (seven solo), broke up a pass, and intercepted a pass from Sam Howell and returned 66–yards during a 45–10 win against the Washington Commanders. It was his fifth interception return for a touchdown of the year, setting the NFL single-season record.[28] Bland was named NFC Defensive Player of the Month for November.[29] In Week 13, he made six combined tackles (five solo), a pass deflection, and intercepted a pass by Geno Smith for his fourth consecutive game with an interception during a 41–35 win at the Seattle Seahawks. He had 69 combined tackles (53 solo), 15 pass deflections, a career-high nine interceptions, and a career-high five touchdowns in 17 games and 15 starts.[30] He received an overall grade of 89.5 from Pro Football Focus, which ranked second among all qualifying cornerbacks in 2023.[31]
2024 season
During training camp in 2024, Bland suffered a stress fracture and began the season on injured reserve.[32] On October 30, 2024, the Cowboys activated him from injured reserve after missing the first ten games of the season (Weeks 1–11). Upon his return, head coach Mike McCarthy named him a starting cornerback alongside Jourdan Lewis. On November 26, he collected a season-high nine combined tackles (six solo) and broke up a pass during a 27–20 win against the New York Giants. He finished the 2024 NFL season with a total of 41 combined tackles (29 solo), five pass deflections, one forced fumble, and a fumble recovery in seven games and seven starts.[33]
2025 season
On August 31, 2025, Bland signed a four-year, $92 million extension with $50 million guaranteed. At the time of the signing, the extension's $23 million annual average made Bland the NFL's sixth highest paid cornerback.[34] He started 12 games for Dallas, compiling one interception (which he returned for a touchdown), six pass deflections, and 73 combined tackles. On December 20, Bland was placed on injured reserve after suffering a foot injury that required season-ending surgery.[35]
NFL career statistics
| Legend | |
|---|---|
| Led the league | |
| NFL record | |
| Bold | Career high |
Regular season
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | TD | PD | ||
| 2022 | DAL | 17 | 8 | 54 | 38 | 16 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 | 19 | 0 | 7 |
| 2023 | DAL | 17 | 15 | 69 | 53 | 16 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 209 | 5 | 15 |
| 2024 | DAL | 7 | 7 | 41 | 29 | 12 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 5 |
| 2025 | DAL | 12 | 12 | 73 | 45 | 28 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 68 | 1 | 6 |
| Career | 53 | 42 | 237 | 165 | 72 | 0.0 | 1 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 296 | 6 | 33 | |
Postseason
| Year | Team | Games | Tackles | Fumbles | Interceptions | ||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GP | GS | Cmb | Solo | Ast | Sck | FF | FR | Yds | TD | Int | Yds | TD | PD | ||
| 2022 | DAL | 2 | 2 | 18 | 10 | 8 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| 2023 | DAL | 1 | 1 | 5 | 5 | 0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Career | 3 | 3 | 23 | 15 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | |
References
- ^ "2022 Dallas Cowboys Media Guide" (PDF). NFL.com. National Football League. Retrieved October 3, 2022.
- ^ Podell, Garrett (November 24, 2023). "Cowboys' DaRon Bland breaks NFL single-season pick-six record with fifth of 2023; CB called 'inspirational'". CBSSports.com. Archived from the original on December 8, 2023. Retrieved October 4, 2024.
- ^ "Daron Bland - 2018-19 Track & Field Roster". hornetsports.com. Retrieved September 4, 2024.
- ^ Licciardi, Anthony (November 21, 2023). "Dallas Cowboys' DaRon Bland Reveals Playing Receiver in High School Key to Pick-Six Prowess". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved April 23, 2024.
- ^ Burns, James (January 23, 2017). "Cousins Montell and DaRon Bland commit to Causeway Classic". The Modesto Bee. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ Moore, Jackson (January 21, 2021). "All-Big-Sky CB transfer Daron Bland commits to Fresno State". 247Sports.com. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ Salerno, Cameron (June 4, 2021). "Why are so many NCAA football players looking to transfer?". The Sacramento Bee. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ Kuwada, Robert (February 3, 2021). "Fresno State football: 2021 class up to 17, three transfers". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ "Cowboys select Fresno State CB DaRon Bland with No. 167 pick NFL draft". The Dallas Morning News. April 30, 2022. Retrieved May 6, 2022.
- ^ "2022 Draft Scout DaRon Bland, Fresno State NFL Draft Scout College Football Profile". draftscout.com. Retrieved March 13, 2023.
- ^ "2022 NFL Draft Listing". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved March 26, 2023.
- ^ Galaviz, Anthony (April 30, 2022). "Former Fresno State cornerback DaRon Bland is taken by the Dallas Cowboys in NFL draft". The Fresno Bee. Retrieved April 30, 2022.
- ^ "Spotrac.com: DaRon Bland contract". Spotrac.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ Brandon Clements (August 25, 2022). "DaRon Bland has locked up a spot on the Cowboys roster in 2022". BloggingtheBoys.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ Brandon Clements (August 9, 2022). "Cowboys Release First Unofficial Depth Chart of the 2022 Season". BloggingtheBoys.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ Cameron Burnett (October 2, 2022). "Cowboys CB Jourdan Lewis ruled out with groin injury against Commanders". cowboyswire.usatoday.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ Burnett, Cameron (October 2, 2022). "WATCH: DaRon Bland jumps route, makes first career INT". Yahoo Sports. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Jon Machota (October 24, 2022). "Cowboys' Jourdan Lewis out for season with foot injury after fourth-quarter INT vs. Lions". The New York Times. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ "DaRon Bland Hauls Sideline INT vs Colts". Dallas Cowboys. December 5, 2022.
- ^ "DaRon Bland surges in front of Dulin's route for CB's second INT on 'SNF'". NFL.com. December 4, 2022.
- ^ "DaRon Bland rips football away from Watkins for CRUCIAL INT". NFL.com. December 24, 2022.
- ^ "Pro-Football-Reference: DaRon Bland stats (2022)". .pro-football-reference.com. Retrieved December 27, 2024.
- ^ "Watch: DaRon Bland comes down with INT, scores big TD for Cowboys' defense vs. Giants". The Dallas Morning News. September 10, 2023. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Torres, Angel (October 25, 2023). "Cowboys' Trevon Diggs underwent ACL surgery with good news". Cowboys Wire. USA Today. Retrieved December 28, 2024.
- ^ Archer, Todd (October 1, 2023). "Cowboys' Bland comes up with second pick-six of 2023". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 1, 2023.
- ^ Rodriguez, Mauricio (October 29, 2023). "Cowboys: DaRon Bland's pick-six vs. Rams carries historical meaning". A to Z Sports. Retrieved September 19, 2024.
- ^ Ochoa, RJ (November 22, 2023). "Dallas Cowboys CB DaRon Bland named NFC Defensive Player of the Week". Blogging the Boys. Retrieved November 22, 2023.
- ^ Silverman, Steve (November 23, 2023). "Lakers' LeBron James honors DaRon Bland after historic pick-6". ClutchPoints. Retrieved November 23, 2023.
- ^ Gordon, Grant (November 30, 2023). "Texans QB C.J. Stroud, Cowboys QB Dak Prescott highlight November Players of the Month". NFL.com. Retrieved November 30, 2023.
- ^ "Pro-Football-Reference: DaRon Bland stats (2023)". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ^ John Kosko (March 1, 2024). "Highest-graded cornerbacks from the 2023 NFL season: Bears' Jaylon Johnson puts together career year". PFF.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ^ Eatman, Nick (August 27, 2024). "DaRon Bland moved to IR; Will miss at least 4 games". DallasCowboys.com.
- ^ "Pro-Football-Reference: DaRon Bland stats (2024)". Pro-Football-Reference.com. Retrieved February 8, 2025.
- ^ Kownack, Bobby (August 31, 2025). "Cowboys sign CB DaRon Bland to four-year, $92 million contract extension". NFL.com.
- ^ "Cowboys news: Trevon Diggs activated, DaRon Bland to IR". sports.yahoo.com. Retrieved December 23, 2025.
External links
- Career statistics from NFL.com · ESPN · CBS Sports · Yahoo Sports · Pro Football Reference
- Dallas Cowboys profile
- Fresno State Bulldogs profile
- 1999 births
- Living people
- 21st-century African-American sportsmen
- 21st-century American sportsmen
- American football cornerbacks
- Dallas Cowboys players
- Fresno State Bulldogs football players
- National Conference Pro Bowl players
- Players of American football from Modesto, California
- Sacramento State Hornets football players
