Former Texas running back Jaydon Blue still has the talent that made him an intriguing Cowboys draft pick, but questions about consistency and maturity have put his roster spot in doubt.
Jaydon Blue left Texas as one of the most exciting running backs the Longhorns had produced in years. The 2024 fifth-round pick brought elite speed, open-field vision and the kind of burst that made him a threat to take any carry to the end zone. The Dallas Cowboys saw it, drafted him and spent much of last offseason talking him up as a long-term piece in their backfield. A year later, the conversation has shifted considerably.
Blue is now being discussed as a legitimate cut candidate heading into the 2026 season, and the reasons have little to do with talent. Former Cowboys receiver Jesse Holley addressed the situation directly on the DLLS Cowboys podcast this week, and his assessment was blunt.
“If Blue, if in Year 2, you can’t see him taking the step that you want to take in the maturity aspect and learning the plays and being impactful both on offense and in special teams, when you’re the backup, the third running back, if you’re not willing to make that commitment, then if not now, when?” Holley said.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer essentially made a similar point publicly last September, which was notable given how rarely coaches call out players by name for effort and consistency issues.
“He’s extremely talented,” Schottenheimer said. “But there is a way you have to perform, especially with a mantra of compete every day. There’s got to be consistency.”
The on-field results backed up the concern. The Cowboys gave Blue a four-week window as the backup to Javonte Williams from Week 5 through Week 8, and he did not take full advantage of it. He carried the ball 22 times for 65 yards during that stretch and barely saw the field again until the meaningless season finale against the Giants, when he ran for 64 yards and a touchdown on 16 carries against a defense that had nothing to play for.
His special teams usage did not help his case, either. Blue returned three kicks during the season but played only 11 total special teams snaps. That is not enough contribution from a backup running back to justify a roster spot on a team trying to compete, especially when that player is not forcing his way into a major offensive role.
Williams is set as Dallas’ lead back after rushing for a career-high 1,201 yards last season and earning a three-year, $24 million extension. The depth behind him is the issue. Phil Mafah and Malik Davis are serviceable options, but neither brings the same dynamic change-of-pace profile the Cowboys could use behind a power runner like Williams.
