ARLINGTON, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys received unexpected bad news just moments before kickoff of their team’s final preseason game: All-Pro cornerback DaRon Bland is expected to be out for six to eight weeks after an MRI scan revealed a stress fracture in his foot.
The news comes just 15 days before the team’s season opener against the Cleveland Browns, as the team is expected to place Bland on the injured or designated-for-return list, which would mean an absence of at least four games.
Where do the Cowboys turn in the meantime? Enter rookie cornerback Caelen Carson, a fifth-round pick – coincidentally the same round that Bland was selected in in 2022. While giving a rookie a big defensive role might raise some concerns, the overwhelming sentiment from the Cowboys is that his performance in training camp and preseason has prepared him for this opportunity.
“I like that he’s playing at this level,” Jerry Jones said. “He’s definitely going to get a great opportunity to step in here.”
“I’ve seen how (Trevon Diggs) and (DaRon Bland) have come into the league and how they prepare for training camp and OTAs,” nickelback Jourdan Lewis said. “(Caelen Carson) has a similar approach to those guys. He’s calm and composed when he’s on the field. He’s cut from the same cloth.”
Carson is aware that an opportunity is in front of him, even though a teammate he has been close with since arriving just four months ago has suffered an unfortunate injury.
“It sucks because (Bland) is like my brother and he’s one of the guys,” Carson said. “It’s terrible news… Just make the most of every opportunity. Take a leaf out of DB, Tre and some of the older guys’ book and just make the most of the opportunity.”
While Jones and management will have to make some decisions in the coming days, with the deadline for layoffs coming early next week, looking at the cornerback market will not be one of them.
“Not at all, not at all,” Jones said. “Not at all. The good news is we have some guys who have played well in camp. We’re not going to look at that at all.”
While Carson is earning early praise, he will have a lot to learn in the first few weeks of the NFL season. His approach will remain the same to keep a cool head.
“It’s always a learning process,” he said. “But at the end of the day, football is football. It’s what you make of it… I feel like I’m a confident guy. I’ve earned the right to play and go to the next level. Whatever happens, happens.”
The crash course for the rookie begins on Saturday to prepare for his opportunity to start. It is a longer run-up than that of DaRon Bland in his rookie season, when he stood in for Lewis – who was also out with a broken foot.
There are parallels to be drawn between Bland and Carson, as they both see fifth-round prospects as rookies. But for a player who earned the nickname “Seatbelt” in training camp, he’s only focused on the road ahead – no matter how fast that may be.
“Everyone has their own story,” Carson said. “I don’t look at other people’s stories.”
