The Dallas Cowboys waived running back Emari Demercado on Thursday, clearing a roster spot to activate All-Pro left guard Tyler Smith from injured reserve ahead of Thursday Night Football against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers, the team announced.
The move ends a brief stay in Dallas for the 27-year-old, who was claimed off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs after the final roster cuts in late August.
A product of nearby TCU, Demercado arrived as an experienced depth option behind Javonte Williams and was reunited with offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who had been Arizona’s offensive line coach during Demercado’s first two seasons with the Cardinals.
Head coach Brian Schottenheimer cited that familiarity, along with Demercado’s special-teams background, when the claim went through.
The production never followed. Demercado carried five times for 15 yards in two appearances and was a healthy scratch in each of the Cowboys’ last two games.
Tyler Goodson, signed earlier in the season, has already taken over as the clear backup, with nine carries for 34 yards. Waiving Demercado leaves Williams and Goodson as the primary backs on the active roster.
Demercado’s NFL path has been longer than his time in Dallas. An undrafted free agent out of TCU in 2023, he spent three seasons with the Cardinals, appearing in 40 games and rushing 131 times for 834 yards and three touchdowns, an average of 6.4 yards per carry.
He also caught 50 passes for 324 yards and a score, and he had five career runs of 40 yards or more.
Arizona did not tender him this past offseason. He signed with Kansas City, was waived at cutdown, and landed in Dallas as a late addition to the 53-man roster.
Thursday’s transaction was driven by the offensive line, not the backfield. Smith, a 2022 first-round pick who signed a four-year, $96 million extension last September, had missed the first four games after thumb surgery.
He was designated to return earlier this week and is now eligible to play in his season debut against Tampa Bay.
The Cowboys also elevated cornerback Reddy Steward and safety Juanyeh Thomas from the practice squad for the game.
Demercado is now a free agent and subject to the waiver process. For a player who called the Metroplex home after his college years at TCU, the stay lasted a little more than five weeks and never translated into a regular role.
Dallas, meanwhile, gets its highest-paid guard back on the field for a prime-time game, with the running-back depth chart settled behind Williams.
