Until the very end, the Cowboys’ cornerback room couldn’t catch a break this season.
The Cowboys are a team that has suffered in the passing game all year, and their corners have had to rely on rotational roles, with Trevon Diggs not playing since Week 6 and highly touted rookie Shavon Revel Jr. not making his pro debut until mid-November.
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It looks like this shuffling will now continue into the final three games of the regular season as well, as All-Pro Daron Brand is now facing his second foot surgery in as many years.
The fourth-year cornerback and single-season No. 6 overall pick previously missed weeks two and three of the season with a foot injury, although it wasn’t the same foot he fractured in training camp in 2024. That incident kept Brand out until Week 12 of last season.
Brand, who signed a four-year, $92 million contract extension in August, was listed as a non-participant for Wednesday and Thursday’s practices because of this latest issue.
The 26-year-old patient is reportedly seeking a second opinion and has not yet been scheduled for surgery at the time of writing.
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But with the Cowboys all but officially out of playoff contention, the team appears to have little incentive to play him in the final three games of the schedule; a move to injured reserve is expected to end Brand’s season immediately.
While Brand’s absence could theoretically open the door for Diggs to return from his knee injury, his long-term future with the Cowboys is a big question mark. Playing Diggs would come with a huge financial risk if Diggs gets injured. If the organization decides within the organization to move on from Diggs this offseason, there’s no reason to inflict a potentially costly setback on the oft-injured two-time Pro Bowler, and the Cowboys would be in trouble.
Brand is coming off a stellar 2023 season, leading the league in interceptions and setting a new draft record for most touchdowns in a season, and the hope is that he and Diggs will form a formidable tandem at cornerback in Dallas for years to come.
However, the two have only appeared in seven games together over the past three seasons due to injuries to both players.
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Josh Butler just opened his evaluation window this week after a lengthy knee rehab, and he could be on the game-day roster in time for Sunday’s game against the Chargers.
Kellen Carson is another option, although he has also been limited in practice this week with a shoulder injury and hamstring issues. Revere has shown promise through five games but is dealing with knee soreness. Trikweze Bridges and Corey Ballentine are also on the active roster; Zion Childress is on the practice squad.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wired: Report: Cowboys CB De’Aaron Brand faces another possible foot surgery
