The Dallas Cowboys enter the 2025 NFL season with a new-look running back room. Last year’s leading rushers (Rico Dowdle and Ezekiel Elliott) have moved on, and Dallas brought in two free-agent additions (Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders) and two rookies (Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah).
While Williams is expected to start the season as the Cowboys’ RB1, Blue has the most upside of the bunch. Fantasy managers are excited about the Texas product, but will Blue play in Week 1 after suffering an injury in the team’s final preseason game? Here’s the latest on the rookie running back and his fantasy outlook for 2025.
What Is Jaydon Blue’s Injury?
In the Cowboys’ final preseason game, Blue found the end zone for the first time in a Cowboys uniform. Unfortunately, his night was cut short when he suffered an ankle injury that forced him out of the game. The team quickly ruled him out, ending his debut on a frustrating note despite the early promise.
The injury was to Blue’s right ankle and heel, the same area he originally hurt during an Aug. 7 practice. That setback kept him sidelined for nearly two weeks before he returned to practice and suited up in the preseason game. This re-aggravation raises concern about how quickly he’ll be able to get back to full strength.
For the Cowboys, the timing is particularly disappointing since Blue had just worked his way back into action. With the regular season approaching, the focus now shifts to his recovery timeline.
After the game, Blue was optimistic that the injury wasn’t serious.
“It was the same ankle just got rolled up a little bit, but I don’t think it’s nothing serious,” Blue said in a press conference. “I’ve had ankle rolls plenty of times, but I feel good right now.”
#Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue suffered a low ankle sprain in Friday’s preseason finale, per source. The rookie is hopeful to be ready for Week 1.
— Jeremy Fowler (@JFowlerESPN) August 24, 2025
The latest from ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler is that the rookie is hopeful to be in the rotation against the rival Philadelphia Eagles in the kickoff of the 2025 NFL regular season on Thursday, Sept. 4.
Blue’s Fantasy Football Outlook
We got a little bit of everything in Blue’s preseason debut. He was buried for a four-yard loss on his first carry, a drive that was later highlighted with a 13-yard burst and a one-yard score.
There seems to be something there with the rookie, and as a member of an ambiguous backfield, this is a profile to chase. However, his ankle injury has created uncertainty about his short-term availability.
MORE: Fantasy Football Mock Draft Simulator
Fantasy managers who drafted Blue were always going to be need to be patient, and that is more true now due to his injury. The Cowboys ranked 27th in one-score pass rate in 2023 when Dak Prescott was a full-go for the season, a play-calling tendency that would give Blue (42 catches last year at Texas) even greater value should he move to the top of this depth chart.
Blue remains the Dallas running back I’m most interested in this draft season, given his combination of ADP and upside. Dallas is going to need to air the ball out late this season (in Weeks 12-14, they play the Eagles, Chiefs, and Lions). If Blue can develop into anything close to the versatile weapon he was in college by that time, you’re looking at a fantasy starter during the most important run of the season.
