The Cowboys’ backup running back job has gone from feeling like Jaydon Blue’s to lose to looking like a real fight.
With Dallas still waiting for its first preseason game Saturday night, Brian Schottenheimer made it plain on Thursday: Blue and fellow second-year back Phil Mafah are both going to see plenty of action, and the competition is far from settled.
Schottenheimer said both players would "get a ton of work" in the preseason, then took the message a step further by saying they were "in a tight battle" for the backup job.
That sets up one of the cleaner stylistic contrasts on the roster. Blue brings speed, receiving ability and even kick-return value. Mafah is the heavier, downhill runner built to punish tacklers between the tackles.
Because they do different things so well, the Cowboys may not need to pick a winner in the traditional sense. Blue could fit as the change-of-pace option and maybe chip into KaVontae Turpin’s snaps more than Javonte Williams’. Mafah, meanwhile, could handle some of the hard-nosed work behind Williams and keep Hunter Luepke at fullback instead of asking him to moonlight as a short-yardage runner.
That’s why the loser of this battle may still come out with a role. The backup label matters, but the path to touches is still there for both backs.
The biggest swing factor for Blue is ball security. He put one on the ground in this week’s joint practice with the Rams, and that kind of mistake brings back one of the concerns that followed him out of college. If that issue keeps showing up in preseason games, it could open the door for someone else.
What stands out just as much is who Schottenheimer didn’t mention in the RB2 conversation: Malik Davis and Israel Abanikanda.
Davis has been around the program and even delivered in Dallas’ holiday games against the Chiefs and Commanders after coming up from the practice squad last year, but he doesn’t appear to be getting any special treatment because of that history.
Abanikanda has been quieter this offseason after joining Dallas’ practice squad late last November. Still only 23 and a former fifth-round pick by the Steelers in 2023, he remains a developmental name worth tracking. There have been positive reports about him in camp, but not enough to push him into the same tier as Blue and Mafah.
For now, the preseason is where this all gets sorted out. Camp buzz can fade fast once the games start, and a strong showing can change the picture just as quickly. Plenty is still left to be decided.
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