Cowboys could get huge boost in Week 6 as star DB nears season debut

Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence is still on injured reserve, and the team could be without two-time first-team All-Pro linebacker Micah Parsons a bit longer.

The Cowboys may see the return of stud cornerback DaRon Bland for Sunday's Week 6 matchup against the Detroit Lions, however, for what would be his season debut.

According to Jon Machota of The Athletic , Dallas head coach Mike McCarthy said that the 25-year-old defensive back would practice on Wednesday but be on a pitch count.

Bland hasn't played this season due to a stress fracture in his foot. The 2022 fifth-round pick was one of the team's best players last year, though, racking up a league-leading nine interceptions for an NFL-best 209 yards. Bland returned five of his interceptions for touchdowns, which also led the league, and had 15 passes defensed. He earned Pro Bowl honors and was a first-team All-Pro as well while finishing fifth in the AP Defensive Player of the Year voting.

Along with Lawrence, Parsons and company, Bland helped lead the Cowboys to end the campaign with the fifth-ranked defense (18.5 points allowed per game).

Whether his comeback is on Sunday against the Lions or after the team's Week 7 bye, Bland's return should be huge.

Dallas has dropped to 23rd in the NFL in points allowed per game in 2024 (24.2), and its upcoming schedule is brutal.

After the Cowboys host Jared Goff's Lions in Week 6 and take their bye, they travel to take on the San Francisco 49ers and Atlanta Falcons on the road in Weeks 8 and 9, respectively. McCarthy's squad then hosts the Philadelphia Eagles and Houston Texans before going to the nation's capital to face the top-ranked offense in the Washington Commanders.

Bland's return can't come soon enough.