After a slow start to the game, the Dallas Cowboys bounced back in a major way to notch a 17-7 win over the Seattle Seahawks in the team’s first preseason game. One of the few concerns from the victory is a new injury to the team’s playmaker competing for a roster spot.
During the Cowboys’ win over the Seahawks, the team revealed running back Phil Mafah sustained a chest injury. Mafah was initially listed as questionable to return against the Seahawks but was later ruled out of the game.
The good news is that the initial signs indicate Mafah’s injury is not believed to be serious. Mafah is currently listed as third on the Cowboys depth chart behind Javonte Williams and Jaydon Blue.
“Yeah, he’s okay, I talked to him,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Mafah’s injury during an August 15, 2026, press conference. “Yeah, he’s okay. I think we came out okay, a little bumps and bruises.
“Justin Barron, he got rocked a little bit, and then Phil, but I think everybody’s okay. And we’ll figure out a little bit more when we wake up in Oxnard tomorrow morning and get ’em all treated. But I know the masseuses are gonna be busy tomorrow.”
The running back is fighting to make the Cowboys’ final 53-man roster.
Cowboys News: RB Malik Davis Shined vs. Seahawks
If any running back benefited from the eye test against the Seahawks, it was veteran Malik Davis who took advantage of his touches. Davis posted seven carries for 39 yards averaging 5.5 yards per touch versus Seattle.
After being selected by the Cowboys in the seventh round of the 2025 NFL draft, Mafah battled injuries during his rookie season. Mafah played in just one game during 2025 as the running back notched five carries for 18 yards and a touchdown.
Cowboys Rumors: Phil Mafah, Jaydon Blue & Malik Davis Fighting to Avoid Roster Cuts
The Cowboys have until Sunday, August 30, to make a decision on Mafah and the other players on the roster bubble. This is the deadline for NFL teams to finalize their final 53-man roster.
Williams is the Cowboys’ RB1, but it is a wide-open competition for the remaining running back spots. Ahead of the Cowboys-Seahawks game, The Dallas Morning News’ Joseph Hoyt projected the following five running backs to make the final roster: Williams, Blue, Mafah, Davis and Hunter Luepke.
“Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah have also given evidence to the team’s claims they could make the second-year jump,” Hoyt wrote in an August 7, story titled, “Cowboys roster projection 2.0: Training camp standouts, wild cards and more.” “Hunter Luepke hasn’t stood out much in camp so far, which is worth bookmarking but not overreacting to right now.
“… The Cowboys love Malik Davis. They trust and respect him. He could be a special teams ace in addition to being someone who could run for 100 yards in a pinch. Could he also be pushed by Israel Abanikanda, though?” Hoyt added.
“If we’re talking strictly in the running game, Abanikanda might be the second-most impressive running back we’ve seen in camp. He’s opening eyes.”
Cowboys Announce New Injury to Playmaker as Roster Cuts Loom After Win vs. Seahawks