Dallas has placed Malik Davis on season-ending injured reserve following hip surgery, the Cowboys confirmed in their Sunday update. The move ends the season for the running back who had won the backup job behind Javonte Williams.
The Associated Press independently confirmed the need for surgery with a person familiar with the injury. That person did not establish whether Davis could return this season. The Cowboys' published assessment is more definitive about the expected absence, describing the injured-reserve move as season-ending.
ESPN’s Todd Archer had reported that surgery was scheduled for Saturday. Dallas subsequently confirmed the injured-reserve move following surgery; the team did not provide surgical details or a recovery timetable in its game-day update.
Dallas loses the backup it chose in camp
Davis was hurt during a noncontact practice at The Star and had to leave the field on a cart, according to the Cowboys. He had secured the No. 2 role through a training-camp competition that extended through much of August.
Speaking on 105.3 The Fan, Cowboys executive Stephen Jones expressed disappointment for Davis and praised the work he had put into earning the job. The injury came just before Dallas' Sunday-night opener against the Giants, leaving the offense little preparation time with a revised rotation.
Demercado becomes the immediate option
Emari Demercado is the established alternative on the roster behind Williams. The Cowboys claimed the former TCU running back on waivers after the preseason, and the AP identified him as a potential replacement in the backup role.
Dallas promoted Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad Saturday, then made him inactive for the Giants opener. Emari Demercado remained the available supporting option behind Javonte Williams for Sunday night.
For fantasy managers, the first thing to watch is who actually spells Williams and in which situations. A new place in the rotation does not guarantee a large rushing workload or a receiving role, and no specific division of touches has been announced in these reports.
Williams remains the starter. What changes is the support behind him: Dallas must replace the runner it selected for that job before its offense has played a regular-season snap.
