Phil Mafah: Everything you need to know

Mafah appeared in one game for the Cowboys in 2025, carrying the ball five times for 18 yards and a touchdown while catching both his targets for 11 yards. The 2025 seventh-round pick spent most of his rookie season on IR due to a shoulder injury, but Dallas activated him ahead of a Week 18 clash with the Giants and Mafah scored from the one-yard line in his NFL debut. With Javonte Williams headed for free agency, the Cowboys' backfield is unsettled to begin the offseason, and Mafah could find himself in a short-yardage specialist role to begin 2026 if the team isn't able to find a bell cow to head the backfield.

Mafah (shoulder) is listed as active Sunday at the Giants. In the wake of the Cowboys ruling out Javonte Williams (shoulder/neck) and Malik Davis (calf/eye) for Week 18 on Friday and subsequently placing both on injured reserve one day later, Mafah, who was activated from IR on Saturday, will be in the mix for touches out of the backfield Sunday behind Jaydon Blue and FB Hunter Luepke. A seventh-round rookie, Mafah thus is in line for the first game action of his pro career, though Blue and Luepke are the likeliest candidates to earn snaps among the trio.

Mafah (shoulder) was activated off injured reserve Saturday and remains questionable for Sunday's game against the Giants. Mafah upgraded to full participation in practice Friday after being limited to start the week. Though he is still questionable, the 23-year-old could be an important depth option versus the Giants, as the Cowboys are without their top two running backs, Javonte Williams (shoulder/neck) and Malik Davis (calf/eye), leaving Jaydon Blue as the sole healthy option in Week 18. If Mafah does play, the 2025 seventh-round pick would be making his career debut.