DaRon Bland and Caelen Carson injury updates provided by Stephen Jones of the Cowboys

The Dallas Cowboys are preparing for a primetime showdown with the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5 and have some holes to fill on the defensive side of the ball.

Dallas is expected to miss All-Pro Micah Parsons for this game, and DeMarcus Lawrence will likely play on the IR team.

While this is a huge blow to the Cowboys’ front seven, there is some good news for the secondary.

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According to Stephen Jones, executive vice president, general manager and director of player personnel, fifth-round rookie Caelen Carson is trending to play after missing last week’s game with a shoulder injury.

Carson started in place of injured All-Pro DaRon Bland, and Jones says the former Wake Forest star could start against the Steelers.

Jones also revealed information about Bland’s impending return from the substitute role.

“I think Carson has a real chance,” Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Monday, according to DallasCowboys.com. “I think Bland is a broader opportunity. We’ll see. I think (Bland) is really starting to get it with the workload that Britt (Brown) is giving him. We will continue to monitor his situation as we move forward.”

This is promising news for the “Boys” team.

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If Parsons and Lawrence don’t put pressure on the quarterback, the Cowboys defense will be under more pressure.

Getting Carson back immediately improves the secondary, and Bland’s return would boost team morale.

Heading into October, Cowboys Nation needs all the good news it can get, so Stephen Jones’ updates are welcome and show the defense is slowly but surely getting back to full strength.

The Cowboys and Steelers will be on October 6 on NBC Sunday Night Football at Acrisure Stadium. Kickoff is scheduled for 8:20 p.m. EST.

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