Just days after trading the cornerstone of their defense, the Dallas Cowboys extended one of their key playmakers in the secondary.
According to FOX Sports’ Jay Glazer, the Cowboys have agreed to a four-year extension with cornerback Daron Bland. Reports indicate the deal is worth $92 million.
Last week, the Cowboys traded Micah Parsons to the Green Bay Packers for two first-round picks and defensive tackle Kenny Clark. Parsons wanted a new contract, and no progress was made on that during training camp, ultimately leading to the deal.
Daron Bland broke out in 2023, when he led the NFL in interceptions and scored five touchdowns. (Richard Rodriguez/Getty Images)
Parsons will make an estimated $47 million per year with the Packers, making him the highest-paid player who is not a quarterback in the NFL. The Cowboys already have the highest-paid quarterback (Dak Prescott) and wide receiver (CeeDee Lamb) in the NFL, so fitting another massive contract on their books would have been difficult.
With Parsons gone, the Cowboys can focus on keeping players like Bland, who was entering the final year of his contract.
The Cowboys also signed tight end Jake Ferguson to a four-year contract extension back in July.
A third-round pick in 2022, Bland was a first-team All-Pro selection in 2023. He played 17 games in each of the first two seasons of his career but was limited to seven games last season.
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During that 2023 season, Bland famously had five pick-sixes and nine total interceptions, both of which led the NFL. That was the last season the Cowboys defense was fully healthy, and it won 12 games en route to an NFC East title.
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