It didn’t take long for former Dallas Cowboys running back Emari Demercado to find a new job — and he won’t even have to move too far away to start working.
One day after the Cowboys released him, the Houston Texans picked Demercado up off waivers.
“The Houston Texans have claimed RB Emari Demercado off waivers after Dallas released him,” The Fort Worth Star-Telegram’s Nick Harris wrote on his official X account on Wednesday. “He will be placed on their active roster.”
“The Texans placed WR Jaylin Noel on the injured reserve, per the team,” Texans reporter Jonathan M. Alexander wrote on X. “They were awarded Cardinals RB Emari Demercado off waivers.”
“Emari Demercado was claimed by the Texans,” Cowboys reporter Patrik Walker wrote on his official X account.
Cowboys Did Back-and-Forth With Demercado
On Tuesday, the Cowboys placed Demercado on waivers for the second time in the past month.
“Cowboys waived Emari Demercado and D.J. Rogers,” NFL reporter Aaron Wilson wrote on his official X account on Tuesday.
Demercado played in the Cowboys’ first two regular-season games but hadn’t played since.
The Cowboys initially waived Demercado on October 8, then brought him back to the practice squad on October 13.
“The Cowboys are expected to re-sign RB Emari Demercado back to the 53-man roster with the spot created by the releasing of OL Nick Leverett on Monday,” ESPN’s Todd Archer wrote on his official X account on Tuesday. “The plan is for Leverett to join the practice squad.”
The Cowboys waived Demercado to make room for NFL All-Pro offensive lineman Tyler Smith‘s return from injured reserve.
Incident With Cards Helped Lead to Coach’s Firing
Demercado, one of TCU’s stars on its way to the 2023 College Football Playoff national championship game, spent his first 3 seasons with the Arizona Cardinals — a stretch that has defined his career so far with one embarrassing incident.
The Cardinals fined former head coach Jonathan Gannon $100,000 for a fiery moment with Demercado in a Week 5 loss to the Tennessee Titans in 2025.
The viral video showed Gannon on Arizona’s sideline yelling at Demercado after he let go of the ball just before crossing the goal line on what should have been a 72-yard touchdown run but instead became a touchback.
At one point, Gannon punched/pushed Demercado’s right arm as he tried to walk away from his coach.
The touchdown would have given the Cardinals a 28-6 lead over the Titans with 12:40 left in the fourth quarter. Following Demercado’s fumble, Tennessee rallied for a 22-21 win.
Ex-Cowboys RB Swooped Up Off Waivers by Texans