Since Week 18 of last season, the backup job at running back has felt like it was Jaydon Blue's to lose. But with the Dallas Cowboys' first preseason game still ahead on Saturday night, it now sounds like it's an open competition between Blue and draft classmate Phil Mafah.
Regardless of who wins the battle, it gives us an idea of Dallas' prospective RB depth chart for 2026.
In his Thursday press conference, Brian Schottenheimer saidboth second-year backs would "get a ton of work" in the Cowboys' preseason games. And if there was any room for questions about what that meant about the gap between them, Schotty cleared that up by saying they were "in a tight battle" for the backup job.
Cowboys fans should expect a lot of Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah this preseason
You couldn't ask for a clearer dichotomy between two RBs than what you have with Blue and Mafah. One is your classic speedster, with the skills to dabble as a receiver and kick returner. The other is a prototypical bruising, downhill power runner.
Those stylistic differences make comparison difficult, but also somewhat unnecessary. As long as both Blue and Mafah look capable in their own ways, they would round the RB depth chart nicely. Blue would be your change-of-pace back with some potential use, perhaps cutting into KaVontae Turpin's snaps more than Javonte Williams'.
Meanwhile, Mafah could take some of the dirty work off of Williams and allow Hunter Luepke to stay at FB, rather than having to double as an occasional short-yardage ball carrier.
In other words, whoever loses this so-called RB2 battle probably gets a decent consolation prize. A clear offensive role is still right in front of them, and perhaps not that different regardless of who is named the second-team back.
A huge factor in the decision will be ball security, and this is a problem area for Blue. A fumble in this week's joint practice with the Rams was a reminder of one of his weaknesses coming out of college, and continued issues could really hurt his candidacy. If he keeps giving up the ball in preseason games, that just might open the door for some other competitors.
Malik Davis and Israel Abanikanda may be in trouble
It's more noteworthy that Schottenheimer didn't include Davis or Abanikanda in this discussion, particularly when it came to the RB2 talk.
It must be especially hard for Davis, who came off the practice squad last year with big performances in Dallas' holiday games against the Chiefs and Commanders. Despite several years with the organization, it doesn't seem like Davis is getting any veteran deference.
Abanikanda has flown under the radar all offseason, joining Dallas' practice squad late last November. But still 23 years old and a former fifth-round pick by the Steelers in 2023, he could still be seen as a young, developing prospect.
There have been positive reports about him during training camp, but it doesn't sounds like he's worked his way up to competing with Blue and Mafah just yet.
For both of these guys, there's still a lot of room for hope with the full preseason to come. We've seen how Oxnard hype evaporates with poor showings in those games, or how quickly the winds change based on big performances. A lot can still happen to change the current competition.
Blue and Mafah can't rest easy, and Davis and Abanikanda can't lose hope.
Add us as a preferred source on Google