Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Jaydon Blue suffered a right ankle injury in the second half of the Cowboys’ final NFL preseason game against the Atlanta Falcons on Friday night at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.
Blue, who played his college ball at the University of Texas, was selected by the Cowboys in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft.
What Happened to Jaydon Blue?
Blue took a handoff and was moving through the Falcons’ defense when an Atlanta player tackled him low.
His right ankle was twisted in the aftermath. Cowboys reporter Jon Machota of The Athletic shared a video clip of the tackle on X.
Cowboys rookie RB Jaydon Blue has been ruled out with a right ankle injury pic.twitter.com/o8Zrupk4YN
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 23, 2025
Dallas medical personnel came out to check on Blue. After the tackle, Blue was shown raising his arms in the air and didn’t seem too shaken up. But he headed to the Dallas sidelines and went into the blue tent to get checked out.
After he came out, word was sent out from the Cowboys that he had twisted his right ankle. Jesse Morse M.D., a Sports Medicine Physician, added some medical context around what Blue might be facing in the next day or two.
“Jaydon Blue, Right ankle injury,” Morse wrote. “This is either a medial ankle sprain or a high-ankle sprain. Unclear on severity. Likely an MRI in the morning. There’s a chance this could potentially impact the early part of his season.”
Jaydon Blue
Right ankle injury
This is either a medial ankle sprain or a high-ankle sprain.
Unclear on severity. Likely an MRI in the morning.
There’s a chance this could potentially impact the early part of his season. pic.twitter.com/c1tX4VAWCw
— Jesse Morse, M.D. (@DrJesseMorse) August 23, 2025
Fortunately for the Cowboys, Blue was back in practice on Monday, August 25. However, there is no certainty that he will be ready to play in the season opener against the Philadelphia Eagles.
Blue’s Fantasy Outlook
The Cowboys were arguably the worst rushing team in the league last season. Only two teams averaged fewer rushing yards per attempt than Dallas (4.0), while none scored fewer rushing touchdowns (six).
That being said, Rico Dowdle did manage to turn that barren environment into an RB2 finish, ending the season as the RB23 overall, averaging 12.4 fantasy points per game. Former Denver Broncos back Javonte Williams will start the year as the team’s lead back, but Blue could get work as a pass catcher, having excelled in that area in college.
He could soon be in for more opportunities if Williams fails to impress, though, which wouldn’t be too surprising. Of the 36 backs with at least 130 carries in 2024, only two averaged fewer yards per attempt than Williams (3.7). Beyond Williams, perennial backup Miles Sanders stands between Blue and the starting job, giving the rookie a real chance to earn significant usage in Year 1.
Blue scored 14 total touchdowns for Texas last year, including six through the air, and found the end zone for the Cowboys during the preseason. In the 12th round, Blue is the 44th running back being taken in drafts and has a far clearer pathway to a starting role than most of the backups being taken around him.
