Cowboys Rookie Gets to Wear Historic No. 21

FRISCO — Caelen Carson will be stepping into a bigger role this season than he may have anticipated earlier in the preseason. Starting cornerback DaRon Bland will miss the first six to eight weeks of the season, leaving a major hole to be filled in the Dallas Cowboys' secondary.

Luckily for the Cowboys, there remains a sense of ease with the group they have at hand. All-Pro corner Trevon Diggs returns to the lineup and veteran Jourdan Lewis will have a presence as well.

But Dallas has positioned confidence Carson, a fifth-round draft pick, out of Wake Forest. The rookie's newly announced number change reflects those beliefs.

Carson will wear No. 21 this season donning a historic number with a line of tradition within the franchise.

Legendary NFL defensive back Deion Sanders wore the number during the Cowboys campaign for their fifth Super Bowl. Franchise favorite running back Ezekiel Elliott also wore the number throughout the entirety of his first stint with the Cowboys.

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That selection certainly adds more pressure on the young player amid Bland's injury. But the Cowboys have high expectations for the young corner.

Carson showed well in training camp and in his preseason time. The translation of that success on the field will need to be an immediate one into the regular season.

However, it appears the Cowboys are expecting No. 21 to make that progression.