Trevon Diggs’ peculiar exit may have cleared a path for cornerback DaRon Bland to step into a bigger leadership role. But before any of that really begins, Bland has to get his body right. A lingering foot issue cut into his season, and it’s going to require surgery on Jan. 13. This looming foot surgery has owner Jerry Jones sounding the alarm.

“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,” Jones said, talking about Bland needing yet another surgery.

Bland played through the pain, but it just wasn’t going away. Add in the fact that playing through it amplifies the risk of aggravating the injury. While the outcome of any surgery is unpredictable, it offers Bland the best chance to get back to 100%.

The corner admitted the foot was a problem most of the season. And after playing through the pain proved ineffective, he is confident that surgery is the right move now that the Dallas Cowboys are eliminated from the playoffs.

“I’m always trying to get back to feeling like I’m regular, feel like me,” Bland said.

Even while limited, Bland still showed flashes of his potential. He missed five games, but still managed to finish with 73 tackles, the most in his career, six pass breakups, and a pick. The production was there, but the missed time was something to be worried about.

And that’s exactly what Jerry Jones is worried about, too. Bland does have what it takes to become the future, but reliability matters a lot. And his injury history is a major red flag.

DaRon Bland’s history is concerning

The lingering foot issues have proved to be quite costly for the cornerback. Over 2024 and 2025, he has missed 15 games. It all started with a fracture in his left foot during last season’s training camp, coming on the heels of a breakout 2023 season. The injury delayed his 2024 season debut until Week 12.

Even with that medical history, the Dallas Cowboys made a major commitment last August, signing Bland to a four-year, $92 million extension. The deal made him one of the highest-paid corners in the league. But again, the only concern was his health.

This season, Bland appeared in 12 games, but the foot issues never really went away. He injured his right foot in Week 2, not as severe as the earlier injury, but problematic enough to sideline him for Weeks 2 and 3. He returned in Week 4 and tried to manage it the rest of the way, but it never fully stabilized.

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Eventually, the season caught up to him. He missed the final three games after being placed on injured reserve. Since signing that extension, Bland has played in just 19 of a possible 34 games.

Next season looms large for him, especially with Diggs’ departure, and being anything less than fully healthy won’t cut it.