ARLINGTON, Texas – The Cowboys suffered a big blow to the defense on Saturday with the announcement of DaRon Bland being out 6-8 weeks with a stress fracture in his foot, which will require surgery.

Bland, who led the league in interceptions last year with nine, including an NFL-record five returned for touchdowns, suffered the injury towards the end of training camp in Oxnard. Test revealed the stress fracture, which will likely shelf the Pro Bowl corner for two months.

The Cowboys announced this statement:

DaRon Bland experienced foot discomfort on Wednesday of last week during training camp in Oxnard. 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.

Without Bland, the Cowboys will have a big void at cornerback, especially considering Trevon Diggs is coming back from an ACL injury that forced him to miss most of the 2023 season. DIggs has returned to practice, but the Cowboys have limited his reps.

At cornerback, the Cowboys have Diggs, veteran Jourdan Lewis, along with Andrew Booth, rookie Caelen Carson and second-year pro Eric Scott. Others on the roster are Kemon Hall, Josh DeBerry and Josh Butler, along with C.J. Goodwin, who plays most on special teams.