After making the bold decision to let Rico Dowdle walk out the door following his breakout 2024 campaign, the Dallas Cowboys quickly got to work in revamping the running backs room in the early days of free agency, first signing Javonte Williams and then Miles Sanders four days later. To add more depth, America's Team then selected a pair of backs in April's draft, first taking Texas speedster Jaydon Blue in Round 5 and then Clemson bruiser Phil Mafah in Round 7.
Now, Mafah was never supposed to compete with Williams and Sanders for the starting role, and he was ultimately placed on injured reserve following the Cowboys' preseason finale with a shoulder injury.