Jaydon Blue misses scrimmage with shoulder issue

Per Schottenheimer, Blue and Mafah “are in a tight battle for the backup running back spot.” Blue has received positive reports for some time now. His speed and receiving ability make him an ideal complement to starting RB Javonte Williams, who “probably won’t get a whole lot of run” in the preseason. If Blue can secure the role, he could warrant FLEX treatment on a weekly basis. Mafah (6'/234) is a burly rusher. Were he to win the RB2 job, he may be ill-suited to playing on passing downs, which could benefit Williams. We’ll see how things shake out in the preseason. Stay tuned.

This news comes from Cowboys beat writer Clarence Hill Jr., who also noted that Blue “got a lot of work with the first team” during Thursday’s practice. Blue is entering his second season with the Cowboys and has reportedly turned in a strong first two days of camp, ripping off one big run after another while mixing in with the starters. He appeared in just five games last season, rushing for 38-129-1 while also catching one pass, but this isn’t the first time Blue’s pass-catching abilities have been highlighted during the offseason. Earlier this month, The Athletic’s Jon Machota said Blue was “the ideal fit” to complement Javonte Williams, specifically because of his ability to catch passes out of the backfield. We’re still in the very early days of camp, but Blue could make for an interesting late-round stash in PPR leagues this season and may even have some standalone value in deeper leagues if he can earn a reliable role in what’s expected to be a pass-heavy offense.

Machota noted Blue’s pass-catching ability as the biggest reason for him to potentially see some work behind Williams. Blue caught 42 passes for 368 yards and six scores during his final season at Texas. He then flopped as a rookie, seeing just one catch and 38 carries in total. The bulk of his opportunities came in a meaningless Week 18 game. Still, Dallas did nothing to address their backfield depth this offseason and head coach Brian Schottenheimer has talked up Blue’s work ethic this time around. With a strong training camp, Blue could cement himself as a change-of-pace option for the Cowboys, putting him on the menu for fantasy drafters in deeper leagues.

Reporters noticed Williams was not participating in organized team activities last week. The Cowboys hosted their three-day mandatory minicamp this week, and it sounds like Williams was either limited or held out again today. Schottenheimer was asked whether this was due to Williams’ shoulder injury from last season or simply veteran maintenance. Fortunately, Schottenheimer said Williams is “in a great spot” and “looks great.” His absence was “more about getting the young guys some reps in this last full-speed practice.” It seems like the Cowboys are hoping that one of Blue or Mafah can step up and be a reliable backup. If one separates from the other, he will be a worthwhile late-round pick.

There has been a drumbeat around Blue being a big winner at Cowboys OTAs. Early last week, we heard that Blue was rotating in behind RB Phil Mafah, so this is a bit of a change. Schottenheimer was very complimentary of his second-year back and said he had a “very candid” exit interview with Blue after last season. Schottenheimer also referred to Blue as being “football brilliant.” After a disappointing rookie season, Blue has seemingly bought himself another chance to earn the RB2 role in training camp. Stay tuned.

Cowboys starting RB Javonte Williams was absent. Archer notes that fellow backups, RB Jaydon Blue and RB Malik Davis, also got some work. After backup RB Miles Sanders suffered a season-ending injury in Week 4 last season, Davis and Blue respectively served as the Cowboys’ RB2 and RB3. Mafah was limited to just 10 offensive snaps all season. It appears as though he is getting the chance to work his way up the depth chart behind Williams this summer.

“Even if [Javonte] Williams does not re-sign, the Cowboys will look to find a lead back in free agency,” Archer adds. Blue had a nice meaningless Week 18 game where he almost doubled his carry total for the season and scored, but we agree with Archer that it’s hard to view him as a potential 2026 lead back for the Cowboys at this point. Blue’s dynasty stock is well down from its 2025 preseason peak.

Despite being quickly identified as a “sleeper” after being drafted in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, Blue couldn’t find the field in Dallas this season. He came into the day with just 64 rushing yards on 22 carries, but was given a larger workload with Javonte Williams and Malik Davis both out in Week 18. Blue doubled up on yardage on the day and looked solid on a few explosive plays, but totaling 128 yards on 38 carries (3.37 yards per carry) is not how many saw the year going. With Javonte Williams heading into free agency, the Cowboys likely can’t feel comfortable relying on Blue as their locked-in starter in 2026.

With both Malik Davis and Javonte Williams ruled out, Blue will get a chance to showcase his future for the Cowboys in Week 18. It’s been mostly a lost year for Blue as he’s been active in just four games up to this point and managed just 22 carries for 63 yards on the ground, along with a fumble that sent him tumbling out of the rotation against the Broncos. It would be in Blue’s best interest to put up some good tape against the Giants to close out his rookie season on a good note.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer told reporters early on Wednesday that both Williams and RB Malik Davis (calf/eye) would be limited. Instead, the team listed both players with DNPs yesterday and today. Rookie RB Jaydon Blue could see a fantasy-friendly workload this week against the Giants.