(Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
CHARLOTTE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 12: Jaydon Blue #23 of the Dallas Cowboys carries the ball following a kickoff during the NFL 2025 game against the Carolina Panthers at Bank of America Stadium on October 12, 2025 in Charlotte, North Carolina. (Photo by Jared C. Tilton/Getty Images)
For Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue, just getting on the field this season was a bit of a struggle. He was taken in the fifth round of the draft out of Texas, and considered something of a steal because of his speed, but once he reported to Dallas, coaches found his work ethic and attention to detail was not quite up to NFL snuff.
Blue was a healthy scratch for all of September, before making his debut against the Jets on October 5. His chance came as RB2 Miles Sanders went down for the season with a knee injury, putting the rookie in position to solidify his spot with the team.
But since getting a bump up on the depth chart, Blue has failed to deliver for the Cowboys, gaining just 65 yards on 22 carries, an unimpressive 3.0 yards per rush. Worse, against the Broncos in Week 8, Blue lost a fumble in the third quarter and this week, coach Brian Schottenheimer indicated that veteran backup Malik Davis may well have overtaken Blue on the depth chart heading into Week 9 vs. the Cardinals.
Cowboys’ Schottenheimer: Jaydon Blue Was ‘Inconsistent’
When talking about Blue this week, here’s the full context of Schottenheimer’s comments, including his sentiments that Blue should actively be learning from RB1 Javonte Williams:
“Jaydon was inconsistent in the game. He did some really good things, but there were some other things he’s got to do at a higher level. The fumble was a good hit, but he’s got to be able to hold onto the ball. And actually our combination block was supposed to come off to it and it didn’t so, again, that’s a blocking issue. But again, he can continue to play and emphasize playing more and more physical with and without the ball. That’s real.
“That’s a young back learning the speed of the game, the physicality of the game. But to me, I am always going to go back to the consistency. You can’t put the ball on the ground, you have to be on top of your blitz pickups, you have to do those things. The big thing I have told him about, you’ve got the perfect guy sitting right to your left in Javonte to learn from. (He) was you a couple years ago as a young rookie trying to figure things out, and lean on him. Javonte does everything right.”
Malik Davis Cowboys Opportunities Coming?
But it was what Schottenheimer then said, unprovoked, that is interesting as far as the depth chart goes. Schottenheimer praised Davis out of the blue, despite the fact that Davis has played only five snaps this year.
“I’d be remiss if I didn’t talk about Malik Davis and the job he is doing for us,” Schottenheimer said. “We’re all about creating competition, it’s not just creating competition on the defensive side of the ball and who’s gonna play. It’s on the offensive side as well. And that would be another battle to watch.”
Again, there was no prior indication that Davis was battling for the backup spot–until Schottenheimer said it.
Jaydon Blue Ran a 4.38 40-Yard Dash
Blue made his mark last season for Texas with his versatility, rushing for 730 yards on 133 carries, and adding 368 yards receiving on 42 catches. He had 146 yards and two touchdowns for the Longhorns in their playoff win over Clemson, but was shut down in the next two games, going for just 20 yards on eight carries in the quarterfinals and semifinals.
But the Cowboys liked his speed coming out of college, with a 4.38 40-yard dash at the Combine, and felt he was a steal in the fifth round.
Sean Deveney is a veteran sports reporter covering the NBA, NFL and MLB for Heavy.com. He has written for Heavy since 2019 and has more than two decades of experience covering the NBA, including 17 years as the lead NBA reporter for the Sporting News. Deveney is the author of 7 nonfiction books, including “Fun City,” “Before Wrigley became Wrigley,” and “Facing Michael Jordan.” More about Sean Deveney
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