The Dallas Cowboys saved themselves a significant amount of money by trading Micah Parsons, and they have wasted no time spending some of it.
Star cornerback Daron Bland agreed to a 4-year, $92 million contract extension with the Cowboys on Sunday, according to multiple reports. The deal includes $50 million in guaranteed money.
Bland had been in the final year of a four-year rookie contract he signed after the Cowboys drafted him in the fifth round in 2022. The former Fresno State star has since developed into one of the best cornerbacks in the NFL.
Bland had 14 interceptions in his first two NFL seasons. He led the league with 9 picks in 2023 and returned 5 of them for touchdowns, which was an NFL record. Bland was named to the Pro Bowl and was a First-team All-Pro that season.
Prior to last season, Bland suffered a foot injury that held him until late November. He played in only seven games and did not record an interception, but he is now fully healthy heading into 2025.
Parsons was making just over $24 million on the fifth-year option of his rookie contract before the Cowboys traded him to the Green Bay Packers in a blockbuster deal on Thursday. Dallas acquired Pro Bowl defensive tackle Kenny Clark as part of the deal and freed up roughly $20 million in salary cap space.
Most people agree that the Cowboys will be worse on defense this year without Parsons, though Jones insists there is one area in which they have gotten better.
