The Dallas Cowboys waived running back Israel Abanikanda on Tuesday, Sept. 15, clearing a 53-man roster spot for Tyler Goodson, whom they signed off the Atlanta Falcons’ practice squad, via the NFL transaction wire.
The move came three days after Dallas had promoted Abanikanda from its own practice squad when Malik Davis was placed on injured reserve with a hip injury that required surgery.
Abanikanda never got on the field. He was inactive for the Cowboys’ Week 1 loss at the New York Giants, a game in which starter Javonte Williams handled the bulk of the work.
Dallas then opted for Goodson, a more experienced backup with 33 career NFL games, over the 23-year-old former fifth-round pick.
The decision ended a brief active-roster window that followed a familiar path for Abanikanda.
Dallas first signed him to the practice squad in late November 2025, then to a reserve/future contract in January 2026.
He was waived at the end of training camp on Aug. 30, re-signed to the practice squad the next day, and elevated again when Davis went down. He has not appeared in a regular-season game since 2023.
That gap between college production and NFL opportunity remains the story of his career.
At Pittsburgh in 2022, Abanikanda led college football with 21 total touchdowns — 20 rushing and one receiving — while rushing for 1,431 yards on 239 carries.
He also set a Pitt single-game rushing record with 320 yards and six touchdowns against Virginia Tech, breaking Tony Dorsett’s mark from 1975.
The New York Jets selected him 143rd overall in 2023. He played six games as a rookie, rushing 22 times for 70 yards, then bounced from the Jets to the San Francisco 49ers, Green Bay Packers, and Cowboys without finding a lasting role.
Dallas’s backfield is now built around Williams, Emari Demercado, fullback Hunter Luepke, and Goodson. Abanikanda, who has fewer than four accrued seasons, will go on waivers.
If he clears, the Cowboys could bring him back to the practice squad; they currently have no running back listed there.
For a player who once filled the end zone at a national-leading clip, the next stop is again a search for snaps rather than a guarantee of them.
