The Dallas Cowboys came into the summer wondering about who, exactly, would be their backup running back to starter Javonte Williams. The top two candidates were second-year players Phil Mafah and Jaydon Blue. It was an important call because the plan was, after having given Williams the most carries of his career in 2025–252, which he took for 1,201 yards–to reduce his workload in 2026 and keep him fresh for what the team hopes is a lengthy January playoff run.
(Maybe February, too.)
Instead, the job went to former UDFA Malik Davis, the steady fifth-year veteran who will get his opportunity after being bounced among the 53-man roster, the practice squad and the injured list for most of his career. Davis has 90 carries for 411 yards in his career. Not only did Blue and Mafah not win the job, but the Cowboys summarily cut both players–Blue had been a fifth-round pick, Mafah a seventh-rounder–and di not sign either back to the practice squad.
Cowboys Deliver ‘Biggest Surprise’ on Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah
That Cowboys roster decision was shocking to those in and around The Star. But it registered league-wide, too, as most thought both Mafah and Blue–especially Blue–had played well enough in the preseason to earn roles with the team.
In fact, at Bleacher Report, the Cowboys’ decision rated as one of the top entries in a post titled, “The Biggest Surprises and Shocks from 2026 NFL Roster Cuts.
In the post, author Moe Moton wrote, “Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah competed with Malik Davis for the No. 2 running back position. The young ball-carriers lost the battle and their roster spots. The Athletic’s Dane Brugler noted that Blue had ‘character concerns’ in his pre-draft evaluation coming out of Texas. The Cowboys waived the 2025 fifth-round pick after one season.
“Dallas selected Mafah in the seventh round of the same draft. He recorded two receptions for 11 yards in addition to five rush attempts for 18 yards and a touchdown last season.”
Cowboys Add Ex-Cardinals RB
Moton pointed out that the Cowboys, after those decisions, would likely add running backs through the waiver wire, and indeed, they did so on Monday, bringing in Emari Demercado, who worked with offensive coordinator Klayton Adams in Arizona. He has had 126 carries for 819 yards in his career, an average of 6.5 yards per attempt.
The Cowboys will be just fine if he puts up those kinds of numbers as a backup in Dallas. It’s still uncertain where Demercado will be on the depth chart, and while he could eventually overtake Davis as the RB2, he is likely to start off as RB3 in Week 1. The Cowboys also cited his special teams work as a reason they wanted to add him.
Jaydon Blue, Phil Mafah Should ‘Reach Out to Malik Davis’
Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said on Monday that the team had a hard time waiving both Blue and Mafah. Schottenheimer had been openly critical of Blue’s lack of professionalism last year, but had said he made great progress this summer and wanted him to win the RB2 job.
Blue signed with the Eagles‘ practice squad.
Said Schottenheimer: “This is more a testament to a guy like Malik Daivs that has just, time in and time out has come back and proven his worth, and the way he is wired. I know both Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah should and will reach out to Malik because now they are in an unfortunate situation like that. If you want to learn from a veteran, Malik Davis would be the first call that I would make.”
Cowboys Deliver NFL’s ‘Biggest Shocks’ With New Roster Moves