Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah against the Atlanta Falcons Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Cowboys fans fearful beloved rookie RB won't make 53-man roster

Originally posted on Dallas Cowboys on SI
By Zach Dimmitt | Last updated Aug 24, 2025 4:15 PM ET

The Dallas Cowboys are on the brink of making cuts in order to finalize the 53-man roster ahead of the 2025 regular season.

Some players are safer than others, but there's growing concern surrounding the future of a rookie that's becoming a Cowboys fan favorite.

Dallas rookie running back Phil Mafah showed promise during the preseason after being a seventh-round pick out of Clemson in the 2025 NFL Draft. However, in a crowded backfield that features Javonte Williams, fellow veteran Miles Sanders, and fellow rookie Jaydon Blue, Mafah's spot is far from secure.

Mafah ended the three-game preseason slate with 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown along with two catches for 15 yards, but will it be enough? Just ask some Cowboys fans what they think.

"Why would they cut Mafah and keep Sanders?" one user wrote on X.

"Mafah would get claimed. Can't cut him. Him and Jalen Brooks have to make the team," wrote another.

There's even a chance that Mafah could get scooped up by another team in the event Dallas does part ways with him, a possibility that Cowboys and NFL fans alike have taken notice of.

"(San Francisco) will surely poach Mafah," wrote one user on X.

"If Mafah is cut, he will not be unclaimed. Would love him on the Bears who do not have a between the tackles runner on the roster," wrote another.

Mafah is clearly on the minds of both NFL and Cowboys fans ahead of roster cuts, and these are only some of the reactions on social media. Expect some minor outrage if the Cowboys do end up parting ways.

Last season with the Clemson Tigers, Mafah had 216 rush attempts for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns. He and Blue went head-to-head in the College Football Playoff, but it was Blue that led the Texas Longhorns to a 38-24 win after posting 14 carries for 146 yards and two touchdowns. Mafah finished that game with just two carries for nine yards and two catches for 15 yards.

The Cowboys and Philadelphia Eagles will kick off the NFL's regular season on Sept. 4 at Lincoln Financial Field.