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The Dallas Cowboys‘ running back room has been an issue since Ezekiel Elliott stopped running wild with 1,000-yard seasons. Zeke’s last 1,000-yard campaign came in 2021. He’s not even in the NFL anymore.
Thus, the Cowboys have had three offseasons to figure things out. Yet, aside from Tony Pollard recording a 1,000-yard year in 2023, the Cowboys have mostly been scrambling to find a replacement. Many would argue this year’s backfield doesn’t feature a lot of excitement.
However, Jaydon Blue was selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, hoping the man who clocked a 4.38-second 40 yard dash could help electrify the backfield. We just didn’t get a chance to see it in Week 1.
The Cowboys made Blue one of their seven players inactive on gameday. So, what happened with Blue? Why didn’t the Cowboys want him involved on gameday?
According to Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, Blue simply isn’t ready. There’s a bit of a maturity issue with the 21-year-old Texas native, but that doesn’t mean he can’t round into form with a bit more consistency.
“He’s extremely talented,” Schottenheimer said. “He really is talented, but there is a way you have to perform, especially with a mantra of compete every day. If you’re not putting it out there and doing right every day and if you take a step back on a Thursday — maybe you did great on Wednesday but on Thursday, not saying he did — that’s going to get noticed. This is an incredibly talented roster, and you have to earn your chance to get out there. It’s not because I was the first overall pick of the draft or whatever it is. Like, there’s got to be consistency.”
Schottenheimer once again cited a lack of consistency later when discussing young players on the Cowboys’ roster. While Blue didn’t get a chance in Week 1, that could change for Week 2, but as Schottenheimer noted, that’s up to the player.
Heck, one of the Cowboys’ rushers, Miles Sanders, even lost a fumble in the third quarter of their Week 1 loss. Had the Cowboys activated Blue, perhaps he would have gotten an opportunity to show what he can do. For now, his work will have to come on the practice fields, where he’ll have to do enough to earn a chance on gameday too.
Javonte Williams and Sanders combined for 107 rushing yards on Sunday, with the former getting 54 yards and two scores. Sanders tallied 53 yards, but he only needed four attempts compared to Williams getting 15 carries and only averaging 3.6 yards per carry. Based on those results, Williams could continue to see fewer and fewer opportunities without producing better results, and Blue could be in line to directly benefit from any extra carries.
Related: 2025 NFL QB Rankings: Where is Dak Prescott?
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