The Cowboys are turning to the open market for help at running back after Week 1, and the next addition is Tyler Goodson.
According to Aaron Wilson of KPRC2 in Houston, Dallas is signing Goodson off the Falcons’ practice squad. The move comes after Malik Davis went down with a season-ending hip injury in practice during the week before the loss to the Giants.
Dallas has not made the transaction official yet, so there is no corresponding move attached at the moment. Still, the decision is a little unexpected because the Cowboys already had three running backs after adding Israel Abanikanda to the 53-man roster in Davis’ spot.
That raises the possibility that Dallas has already seen enough from Abanikanda, or that one of the current backs is dealing with an injury. More should be clear later in the day.
What Goodson brings right away is special-teams value. He has plenty of experience there, including work as a returner. In his career, the Iowa product has logged 11 kick returns for 297 yards and has played 306 special-teams snaps.
On offense, Goodson’s game is built more on burst than power. He uses his 4.42 speed to slip past defenders rather than run through them. He also offers something in the passing game, though he is a below-average pass protector.
Goodson’s college résumé at Iowa was productive: 2,551 rushing yards on 4.8 yards per carry, 18 rushing touchdowns, plus 70 catches for 565 receiving yards and another score.
He entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2022 and first saw regular-season action in 2023 with the Colts after initially joining the Packers. That year, he played in six games and finished with 13 carries for 87 yards and six receptions for 34 yards.
His most productive season came in 2024, when he put together career highs with 153 rushing yards and a touchdown on 32 carries, along with 61 receiving yards and another score on 11 catches across 16 games. Two of his best outings that season both featured 51 rushing yards, once on eight carries and once on 14.
In 2025, his role shrank. He appeared in 11 games and ended the year with nine carries for 24 yards and two catches for eight yards.
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