Cowboys unlikely to give Jaydon Blue a second chance despite depth questions at RB

Jaydon Blue. IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Cowboys unlikely to give Jaydon Blue a second chance despite depth questions at RB

By Clark Dalton | Last updated Aug 31, 2026 3:43 PM ET

Second-year running back Jaydon Blue is no longer with the Dallas Cowboys, and it appears he won't get another shot with "America's Team."

The Cowboys waived Blue in a surprising move ahead of the initial 53-man roster deadline on Sunday at 6 p.m. ET. No one picked him up on the waiver wire before the deadline on Monday at 1 p.m. ET.

The Cowboys could re-sign him to their practice squad to deepen their RB room, but head coach Brian Schottenheimer told the media Monday he told Blue and fellow second-year RB Phil Mafah the Cowboys "weren't sure" they would. Before his news conference, Dallas claimed RB Emari Demercado off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs, further hinting at their plans for Blue and the RB room.

Brian Schottenheimer expands on RB room

Schottenheimer wished Blue the best while discussing the decision to waive him, and then praised the team's other RBs.

Brian Schottenheimer said the Cowboys told RBs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah they "weren't sure" if they'd be brought back to the practice squad if they cleared waivers. pic.twitter.com/BWBY0Iivoo
— Tommy Yarrish (@tommy_yarrish) August 31, 2026

"I feel really good about Javonte [Williams]. I've raved about Malik [Davis]. Hunter Luepke isn't a guy that gets talked about enough," Schottenheimer said. "We feel like we're gonna build a really good running back room from top to bottom, including the practice squad as we finalize that. And one that is very competitive."

Schotty speaks on his confidence in the RB room ️#DallasCowboys | @ATT pic.twitter.com/w4BLS1M1KH
— Dallas Cowboys (@dallascowboys) August 31, 2026

The room remains somewhat thin. Williams rushed for a career-high 1,201 yards in 2025, but he never ran for more than 903 in his first four seasons with the Denver Broncos, sparking questions about whether he can sustain the success. An ACL/LCL tear suffered during the 2022 season certainly prevented him from being more productive in Denver.

Davis (411 career rushing yards), Luepke (128 career rushing yards), and Demercado (819 career rushing yards) are decent change-of-pace backs, but you'd like to see some who have been more productive. And you wouldn't mind having some who own elite speed, like Blue. The former Texas Longhorns standout ran a 4.38 at the 2025 NFL Scouting Combine in Indianapolis.

The RB, however, didn't showcase his speed enough in his first two seasons in Dallas. Blue (pick No. 149 in 2025) ran for 129 yards on 38 carries (3.4 yards per carry, well below league average) during his rookie season. This preseason, he ran for 94 yards on 23 carries (4.1 yards per carry, still below average).

Clark Dalton

Clark Dalton is a 2022 journalism graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. He gained experience in sports media over the past seven years — from live broadcasting and creating short films to podcasting and producing. In college, he wrote for The Daily Texan. He loves sports and enjoys hiking, kayaking and camping.

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