The Dallas Cowboys and cornerback DaRon Bland agreed to a four-year, $92 million contract extension, the team confirmed Sunday. The deal includes $50 million in guaranteed money, according to The Athletic’s Dianna Russini.
Shortly after the news broke, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed reporters.
“So well deserved. I’m thrilled for him and his family,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s a huge, huge piece for us. He has incredible ball skills and instincts. … DaRon has always had the ability to process things quickly.”
Bland, 26, was an All-Pro in 2023 when he led the NFL with nine interceptions, including a league-record five interceptions returned for touchdowns. After the Cowboys selected him in the fifth round in 2022, he picked off five passes as a rookie, followed by his season with nine. He missed the first 10 games of last season after injuring his foot in training camp and did not record an interception in seven games.
The deal comes just days after Dallas traded star pass rusher Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for defensive tackle Kenny Clark and the Packers’ 2026 and 2027 first-round draft picks. The trade was the result of the Cowboys and Parsons being unable to come to terms on a contract extension.
Cowboys CB DaRon Bland on his new contract: “I was kinda surprised. I was a little bit dumbfounded. I can’t believe I’m going to making that much doing what I do. … I thank God, because not many fifth-rounders get the opportunities that I had and be in this league and be able to… pic.twitter.com/Rb5wLhoWmR
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 31, 2025
What it means for the Cowboys
This is a good move by the Cowboys. They had been in contract discussions with Bland’s representatives throughout training camp. Bland was hopeful that something would get done before the start of the season. Dallas has now locked up arguably its best cornerback. Trevon Diggs signed a five-year, $97 million contract with Dallas in July of 2023. Diggs is at his best on the outside. Bland has the ability to play at a high level on the outside or defending slot receivers on the inside.
Since the Cowboys have been criticized often for waiting too long to pay their top players, they deserve some credit for getting this one done without any type of holdout. Cornerback is a question mark spot with Diggs coming off a season-ending knee injury and third-round pick Shavon Revel working back from his own surgically repaired knee injury. Dallas has to have a good year from Bland. — Machota
(Photo: Kirby Lee / Getty Images)