The Cowboys head into Friday night’s preseason finale against the New Orleans Saints with one of the biggest questions still hanging over the backfield: who opens the 2026 campaign as the primary backup to breakout star running back Javonte Williams?
That spot looked crowded when training camp opened in Oxnard. Williams had company from second-year backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, along with Malik Davis, who finished last season strong and has been the steady presence in the group. Two preseason weeks later, the picture still isn’t settled.
Blue has flashed the most big-play juice in games, while Davis has looked like the more dependable runner. Mafah has also been slowed by injuries, which seems to have pushed him back in the competition. Even so, the Cowboys’ final preseason depth chart created a bit of a head-scratcher by listing Blue as RB2 and Davis all the way down at RB4.
That placement suggests Blue may have the edge, but not everyone is treating his spot as locked in. Bobby Belt of 105.3 The Fan raised the possibility that the Cowboys could be evaluating Blue differently based on how he’s being used in practice.
“Could Jaydon Blue be in trouble? It's unlikely, but @BobbyBeltTX put the RB on his watch list because of how the back has been used in practice this week. @1053SS @rjchoppy pic.twitter.com/upHJiMqa6P”
Belt pointed to the workload Blue has been given this preseason, noting that the Cowboys haven’t handled any other projected 2026 contributor the same way. Blue was selected in the fifth round of last year’s draft, and while it would still be a surprise if Dallas moved on from him, there have been questions about his consistency and maturity.
“The other one that we got to watch just because of how they've been rotating him in at practice this week is Jaydon Blue. Blue played a significant amount last week. And if he's on the shelf this week and they're basically putting him on ice or just giving him a handful of reps and then it's Phil Mafah the entire time or somebody like that, then he's probably safe,” Belt said.
“But if he's in there carrying a lot and getting a lot of work, Jaydon Blue might be in trouble.”
Friday night should provide a clearer read on where Blue stands in the pecking order. Cowboys-Saints is set for 8:00 p.m. ET on ESPN Unlimited.
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