Second-year running back Jaydon Blue didn’t remain on the Philadelphia Eagles active roster long enough to face the team that drafted him — the Dallas Cowboys. The Eagles will host the Cowboys to renew the NFC East rivalry this Monday.
But Blue is back with Philadelphia for the matchup.
According to the NFL transaction wire, the Eagles signed Blue to their practice squad Thursday. Blue joined the Philadelphia practice squad two days after the team waived the running back from the active roster.
Additionally, the Eagles signed guard Evan Neal and linebacker Anfernee Orji to the practice squad Thursday with Blue. Philadelphia also waived tight end E.J. Jenkins from the active roster days before the NFC East rivalry matchup.
The Cowboys picked Blue at No. 149 overall in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft. As a rookie last season, the running back gained 129 rushing yards and scored a touchdown on 38 attempts. He also caught a pass for five yards.
Eagles Bring Back RB Jaydon Blue Prior to Cowboys Showdown
Despite being a fifth-round pick, Blue faced significant expectations as a rookie in Dallas. A lot of pundits saw him winning the No. 2 role behind Javonte Williams.
That didn’t happen, though, as Blue only dressed for five contests. He struggled with his opportunity to be the team’s backup running back. In his NFL debut, he had just seven rushing yards and returned one kickoff. After a couple more contests, the Cowboys made Blue inactive for eight consecutive games before the season finale.
This past August, the Cowboys made Blue a surprise roster cut after the preseason. Dallas may have planned to bring back Blue on the practice squad, but the Eagles signed the running back first to their practice squad.
Before Week 6, Philadelphia signed Blue to the active roster. He was inactive for the game, though, and afterwards, the Eagles waived the running back.
Blue has yet to make his Eagles debut. In college, Blue rushed for 1,161 yards and 11 touchdowns in 38 games at Texas.
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Blue wasn’t the only former rival the Eagles signed to their practice squad Thursday. Philadelphia added Neal following his tryout this week.
The New York Giants selected Neal at No. 7 overall in the 2022 NFL Draft. Neal started 27 games for the Giants over three seasons.
Orji is also a former member of the Giants, but he was with New York just about a month this past summer. Orji was also spent roughly a week with the Eagles practice squad early this month.
In 2024, Orji registered 30 combined tackles, including two tackles for loss with the New Orleans Saints.
With the waiving of Jenkins, the Eagles opened a roster spot on their active roster. Philadelphia could have done that to sign veteran Zach Ertz, who is out of practice squad elevations. However, the Eagles haven’t announced a corresponding move yet.
Jenkins didn’t have a target this season. He played 67 offensive snaps and 126 snaps on special teams in six games.
Eagles Bring Back Ex-Dallas RB Days Before Facing Cowboys