Dallas Cowboys running back Malik Davis has been hit with a fine after a preseason play against the Arizona Cardinals, a small but notable reminder that even exhibition snaps can carry a price.
The NFL’s official fines list shows Davis was docked $6,735 for unnecessary roughness stemming from illegal use of the helmet. The play came in the first quarter of the Cowboys’ preseason Week 2 game against Arizona, at the 12:07 mark, on a run that gained five yards. Davis was not flagged on the field after the carry.
The league waits until the preseason schedule is complete before handing down those punishments, which is why the fine surfaced only recently. Davis was the only Dallas player to be fined during the preseason.
Across the league, the largest preseason fine went to Cleveland Browns offensive tackle Tytus Howard, who was penalized $12,537 for unnecessary roughness in preseason Week 1.
For Davis, the hit to his paycheck is minor in context. He is in the second year of a two-year, $2.1 million deal, and his base salary is $1.1 million for 2026. The fine amounts to about 0.6% of that salary.
The money collected from NFL fines goes to the Professional Athletes Foundation, “to support Legends in need and the NFL Foundation to further support the health, safety and wellness of athletes across all levels, including youth football and the communities that support the game,” the league says.
Davis’ preseason performance also carried bigger roster implications in Dallas. He spent the offseason in a three-way fight for the RB2 job with Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, and the competition looked open for much of the summer. Blue appeared to be in position to win the job, or at least land a roster spot, but the Cowboys cut him and Mafah while Davis held onto the backup role behind Javonte Williams.
Blue’s release stood out as one of the bigger surprises on Dallas’ cutdown day. Neither he nor Mafah returned to the practice squad, and the Cowboys instead added Israel Abanikanda there. Blue has since joined the Philadelphia Eagles’ practice squad, while Mafah remains a free agent.
“When you talk about competing every day and adding value and raising the level of competition, both those guys were drafted because we love those guys,” Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer said of Blue and Mafah.
“I think this is more a testament to a guy like Malik Davis that has just time in and time out come back and proven his worth and the way he's wired. I know both Jaydon and Phil should and will reach out to Malik because now they're in an unfortunate situation like that,” Schottenheimer added.
Davis had been quiet for much of the offseason, which helped fuel the idea that Blue might pull ahead in the battle. But Davis’ strong showing against Arizona changed that picture and helped cement his case as the Cowboys’ No. 2 back.
Dallas also adjusted its backfield depth after keeping only two true running backs on the initial 53-man roster, with Hunter Luepke retained as a fullback. The Cowboys later claimed Emari Demercado off waivers.
Demercado gives the team another option behind Williams and brings special teams value, along with the ability to produce chunk gains, catch passes and pass protect.
In Other News...
Cowboys Suddenly Have A Real Backup RB Battle Behind Javonte Williams
The Cowboys quietly added another layer to their backfield last week when they claimed Emari Demercado off waivers, giving the team a fresh name to consider behind Javonte Williams. For a roster that has been sorting through its running back depth, Demercados arrival brings some real competition into a spot that had been sitting with Malik Davis by default.
Demercado comes with more NFL experience and a style that could fit alongside what Dallas wants to do on offense, which is why this is becoming more than just a routine waiver claim. Davis still has the inside track for now, but the presence of a new challenger makes the backup job worth watching as the Cowboys try to settle their depth chart. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Head Into Week 1 With One Risk Fans Can't Ignore
The Cowboys spent much of their offseason making the kind of practical, cap-conscious moves that suggest a front office trying to balance the present with what comes next. Rather than chase more offensive line help for the 2026 season, Dallas is betting on internal growth, with Tyler Guyton among the players expected to take a step forward. The club also reworked the contracts of DaRon Bland and Jake Ferguson to open up space, a set of decisions that helped steady the ledger even as they carried their own questions.
For now, the reaction around those moves has been mostly positive, which says something about how far a little financial breathing room can go with this fan base. Still, the Cowboys are entering Week 1 with the same kind of risk that tends to linger beyond the numbers on a spreadsheet, especially when the plan depends on players developing on schedule and the lineup avoiding unnecessary setbacks. Malik Daviss preseason fine for illegal helmet use was a minor footnote, but it served as a reminder that the margin for error is already thin before the real games begin. [Read more 🡒]
Cowboys Are Finally Treating One Neglected Position Very Differently
The Cowboys spent the 2026 offseason making a point of fixing a spot that has too often been treated like an afterthought. By signing free agents Jalen Thompson and P.J. Locke, then trading up in the draft to take Caleb Downs, Dallas made it clear it wanted more than depth at safety. It was a notable shift for a franchise that has historically put very little into the position over the past three decades.
For a team built under Jerry Jones, the level of urgency stood out as much as the names themselves. These moves amount to one of the most aggressive attempts the Cowboys have made to upgrade safety, and they suggest the front office finally sees the position as something more than a place to patch holes. The bigger question now is whether this reset can change the way Dallas defends the back end, and how quickly the new pieces can justify the investment. [Read more 🡒]