Cowboys All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland will miss the start of the season.
The Cowboys announced today that Bland is out for six to eight weeks with a stress fracture in his foot.
“DaRon Bland experienced foot discomfort on Wednesday of last week during training camp in Oxnard,” the Cowboys said in a statement. “Subsequent imaging revealed a stress fracture in his foot. He will undergo surgery to repair the injury and is currently projected to be out for 6-8 weeks.”
That’s a big blow to the Cowboys’ defense. Last year Bland led the NFL with nine interceptions and 209 interception return yards, and he set a new NFL record by returning five interceptions for touchdowns. He was named a first-team All-Pro and finished fifth in Defensive Player of the Year voting.
Rookie fifth-round draft pick Caelen Carson will likely be the next man up while Bland is down.