The Philadelphia Eagles added running back Jaydon Blue to their practice squad Monday, giving the former Dallas Cowboys draft pick a fresh start one day after he was waived.
Blue, selected in the fifth round of the 2025 NFL Draft, did not last long on the Cowboys’ 53-man roster. Dallas cut him Sunday as teams trimmed their squads to the regular-season limit.
The move keeps the speedy back inside the NFC East. He now will try to earn a promotion with a division rival after a rocky rookie year in Dallas.
“Former Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue , released Sunday, is signing with the Eagles practice squad, per source,” ESPN’s Adam Schefter wrote.
Blue arrived in the league with impressive measurables. He ran the 40-yard dash in 4.38 seconds at the NFL Scouting Combine, a time that fueled talk last summer that he could contribute immediately in a high-powered offense.
That optimism faded quickly. By October he had become an afterthought in Dallas, a development teammates and observers tied to his own conduct. He appeared in only five games as a rookie.
He finished with modest production: 129 yards on 38 carries, one touchdown and one reception for five yards, according to reporting from ESPN’s Todd Archer. Blue played 78 snaps all season, 33 of them in the finale against the New York Giants, and was inactive for 12 games.
Archer wrote in May: “His rookie season was essentially a wash because he was inactive for 12 games. There were questions of maturity and trust for last year’s fifth-round pick, which is why Malik Davis got more work later in the season. Blue played only 78 snaps; 33 came in the finale versus the New York Giants. He finished the season with 129 yards on 38 carries, a touchdown, and one reception for 5 yards. The Cowboys re-signed Javonte Williams to lead the backfield, but the No. 2 running back spot is open with Blue, Davis, and Phil Mafah competing for time. Blue has the speed to be a playmaker. Many coaches believe players make their biggest jump between their rookie and second seasons. The Cowboys hope that’s the case for Blue.”
Those hopes did not materialize. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer made the team’s stance clear when the cuts came.
“Brian Schottenheimer made it pretty clear they were moving on from Jaydon Blue today,” Locked on Cowboys podcast host Marcus Mosher wrote.
“I think everyone in that building was tired of him.”
The Cowboys had already brought back Javonte Williams to headline the backfield, leaving Blue, Davis and Phil Mafah to battle for the remaining snaps. Blue lost that competition.
Even after the release, some evaluators still saw upside. Bleacher Report’s Kristopher Knox listed Blue among the better bargain free-agent running backs available after roster cuts, citing his college production at Texas.
“Jaydon Blue, who was released by the Dallas Cowboys, doesn’t have much of an NFL resume,” Knox wrote on August 31. “What he does have is a lot of untapped potential. While Blue appeared in only five games as a rookie, he recorded 1,098 scrimmage yards and 14 touchdowns while averaging 5.4 yards per carry at Texas in 2024.”
Knox pointed to Jacksonville and Seattle as possible landing spots. Instead Blue stayed in the division and joined Philadelphia’s practice squad.
The Eagles now have a player with proven burst and a chance to develop away from the questions that followed him in Dallas. Whether he can translate that speed into consistent production will determine if the second-year back earns a call-up later this season.
For now, Blue gets another opportunity. Dallas moved on. Philadelphia is willing to take a look.
