By admin 
Daron Bland and the Dallas Cowboys find themselves with a 2-3 record on the 2026 NFL season following Week 5, falling to Jalon Daniels and the previously winless Tampa Bay Buccaneers 24-16 on “Thursday Night Football.” Now, the Cowboys will look to move back to .500 in Week 6, hitting the road to face the Green Bay Packers, who have been without Micah Parsons so far this season.
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Bland became a star during his first four seasons in Dallas, even earning a first-team All-Pro nod in 2023 and breaking the single-season pick-6 record with five interceptions returned for touchdowns. But the last two seasons have been a struggle for the former Fresno State cornerback, helping the Cowboys to one of the worst passing defenses in the NFL.
Dallas brought in Joey Porter Jr. from the Pittsburgh Steelers to aid in the pass defense, but the new corner was forced to miss Week 5 with an illness. Now, the illness has spread to other corners, including Bland and Caelen Carson, who both missed practice on Monday. And when they return, they will be without one of their cornerback teammates.
Alex Austin was selected by the Buffalo Bills with the No. 252 pick in the seventh round of the 2023 NFL Draft. The former Oregon State cornerback did not play a single game for Buffalo and was cut ahead of his rookie season before signing with the New England Patriots later that year. Austin spent three seasons (2023-25) with the Patriots, appearing in 26 games and tallying 31 tackles and one interception.
After spending the 2026 training camp with the Miami Dolphins, Austin would sign to the Cowboys’ practice squad in late September. But his stint in Dallas didn’t last long, as the Cowboys announced on Wednesday that they have released Austin from the practice squad, bringing back guard Nick Leverett.
“The club also signed G Nick Leverett to the practice squad and released CB Alex Austin from the practice squad,” Dallas Cowboys Public Relations wrote on X.
The @dallascowboys signed RB Emari Demercado on Tuesday.
The club also signed G Nick Leverett to the practice squad and released CB Alex Austin from the practice squad.
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) October 13, 2026
Bland and the Cowboys will face the Packers in Week 6’s edition of “Sunday Night Football” at 8:20 p.m. ET.
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This story was originally published October 13, 2026 at 3:52 PM.