Dallas Cowboys CB DaRon Bland earns $750k in performance-based incentive after 2023 season

DaRon Bland earned a bonus based on his performance last season.

None of us will ever forget when DaRon Bland set the record for most interceptions returned for a touchdown on Thanksgiving Day. The moment ensured that an all-time season would live forever in the history books.

While Bland had an impressive rookie season in 2022, nobody predicted him to break out the way that he did in 2023. Much of this was due to the presence of Trevon Diggs, who received a contract extension before the season began, and the acquisition of longtime veteran Stephon Gilmore. Bland was expected to man the slot and nothing more.

But as we all know Diggs went down with a torn ACL in the early parts of the season and that thrust Bland into a position he wasn’t necessarily ready to play. While it took a bit for the waters to stabilize he turned in a stellar campaign and has found himself properly compensated for it.

Bland received a bonus just north of $750k via the NFL’s performance-based system.

Bland was a fifth-round pick two years ago and the idea of him playing so much so early in his career would have never made sense when his name was first called. That is simply the way that things go sometimes, though.

So much about NFL contract structure works against players so it is nice to see that Bland picked up an extra distribution for playing so much. It is worth mentioning that after this upcoming season that he will be eligible for an extension for the first time,and given what he just did will likely be looking to get paid, but the likelihood of him topping 2023 in 2024 is low to say the least.