Ahead of the weekend slate of NFL Week 1, the Philadelphia Eagles watched their NFC East rival, the Dallas Cowboys, suffer a critical setback.
The team’s backup running back, Malik Davis, suffered an injury that could end up preventing him from making a season debut in 2026.
“Per source: Cowboys running back Malik Davis is scheduled to have hip surgery on Saturday and be placed on injured reserve. He was injured in today’s practice,” Cowboys insider Todd Archer wrote on Friday, September 11.
“Cowboys RB Malik Davis was carted off the practice field with an injury, per source,” Clarence Hill Jr. added, before surgery was in play.
“The Cowboys are looking into severity of it. Doesn’t look good for Sunday at the moment. Hopefully it’s not too serious. Davis was finally getting his opportunity.”
The Cowboys still have Javonte Williams listed as the top running back on their depth chart after his explosive 2025 NFL season. However, Malik Davis is a sleeper loss for Dallas.
In 2022, he appeared in 12 games for the Cowboys. He averaged 4.2 yards per carry. After appearing in just three games in 2203, Davis played in 10 games last season. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry and scored twice.
The Loss Of Jaydon Blue
Cutting ties with Jaydon Blue was a surprising move from Dallas.
Reporters and fans in Texas figured Blue had a bright future with the team. However, the Cowboys were confident in Davis to be the RB2, with Emari Demercado behind him.
During the preseason, Blue averaged 5.0 yards per carry after rushing 15 times for 75 yards.
After the Cowboys cut ties with Blue, the Eagles added him to the practice squad.
Could The Cowboys Reach Out To The Eagles?
Divisional trades–especially between the Cowboys and the Eagles–are rare for obvious reasons.
Seeing as though the Eagles have a star rusher in Saquon Barkley, they have expendable depth behind him. But the Cowboys are unlikely to be willing to pay the price of Tank Bigsby, whose value shot up since leaving Jacksonville for Philadelphia.
And while the Eagles still seem to like what Will Shipley brings to the table, he still has a lot to prove outside of a special teams role.
Shipley just finished the Eagles’ 2026 preseason with 18 carries for 78 yards and a touchdown. Intriguing numbers from the guy, after having a quiet start to his career, overshadowed by seasoned veterans.
The Cowboys could eye the practice squad where Blue sits. Dameon Pierce and Carson Steele are two other players who showed some promise in their own ways as well.
So far, it’s unclear what the Cowboys will do long-term. With the injury being fresh, the Cowboys will have to act quickly to get some reliable depth behind Williams. So far, they have Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad.