Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah (shoulder) has been placed on injured reserve, sidelining him for at least the first four games of the regular season with a shoulder injury suffered in the preseason finale. The seventh-round pick out of Clemson showed flashes in the preseason with 15 carries for 59 yards and a touchdown, good for a solid 3.9 yards per carry. Standing six-foot and weighing 234 pounds, Mafah's big-bodied, between-the-tackles style was impressive in his final college season, rushing for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns. His placement on IR is a setback, but with the Cowboys' current running back situation, a potential revolving door of Javonte Williams, Miles Sanders, and Jaydon Blue, Mafah remains a potential contributor later in the season. He is worth a roster spot in deeper dynasty leagues. Still, his fantasy value will stay uncertain until he returns to full health and the backfield situation becomes clearer throughout the season.
Aug 31, 2025 4:05 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah (shoulder) will be placed on injured reserve, according to Jeremy Fowler of ESPN.com. The Cowboys expect Mafah, a seventh-round pick, to return later this season. The Clemson product finished the preseason with 15 carries, 59 yards, and a touchdown. Although his placement on injured reserve is frustrating, it shouldn't change much in terms of Dallas' backfield dynamic. All along, Mafah was expected to slot in as the team's No. 4 running back behind Javonte Williams, Jaydon Blue, and Miles Sanders. Now, his NFL debut will just be delayed a little longer as he works through his recovery.
Aug 26, 2025 12:12 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah carried the ball two times for 16 yards and a touchdown in Friday's 31-13 preseason win over the Falcons. The seventh-round draft pick has impressed in camp and entered the game in the fourth quarter of Friday's game after Jaydon Blue (ankle) was helped off the field. The Cowboys don't currently have a true RB1, with Miles Sanders (shoulder), Javonte Williams, Deuce Vaughn, and Blue ahead of him on the depth chart. With his performance on Friday and injuries to Sanders and Blue, he may have a chance to make the 53-man roster and compete for touches early on.
Aug 24, 2025 7:02 PM EST
Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah indicated Friday that he played through a torn labrum in his shoulder during his final college season at Clemson, Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News reports. Mafah has been looking good in camp thus far and mentioned that he is feeling healthy, then proceeded to discuss his 2024 injury. During the 2024 season, he rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns on 216 carries. He also caught 21 passes for 103 yards and played all 14 games, starting every one, and was voted a permanent team captain by his teammates. Those are still solid numbers considering he was dealing with a shoulder injury. Nonetheless, it could be why he fell to the seventh round of the 2025 NFL Draft in the spring. A big performance from Mafah on Saturday against the Los Angeles Rams could create a running back battle in the Cowboys' backfield between the two veterans (Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders) and the two rookies (Jaydon Blue and Mafah) ahead of Week 1. At this point, from a fantasy standpoint, Mafah remains a dynasty stash at best.
Aug 9, 2025 11:43 AM EST
Dallas Cowboys rookie running back Phil Mafah is earning praise from Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer, according to Garrett Podell of CBS Sports. Schottenheimer said that Mafah is "very fluid" and has "excellent" vision. A seventh-round pick out of Clemson, Mafah rushed for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns in 14 games in his final collegiate season. He's competing with veterans Javonte Williams and Miles Sanders as well as fellow rookie Jaydon Blue for playing time in the Dallas backfield. Williams is the favorite to open the season as the Cowboys' RB1, but there's an opportunity for whichever back plays best to earn carries. With a strong showing in the preseason, Mafah could be a name to monitor in deeper leagues as the regular season gets underway.
Aug 7, 2025 6:00 PM EST
The Dallas Cowboys have signed seventh-round rookie running back Phil Mafah to a four-year, $4.31 million deal, per the team's transaction log. Mafah spent his entire college career at Clemson, garnering seven starts over his first three seasons before starting in all 14 games in 2024. He broke out last year, rushing for 1,115 yards and eight touchdowns across 216 carries (5.2 YPC). The 22-year-old wasn't much of a receiver over his first two campaigns, but he caught 21 balls in each of his junior and senior seasons, though he did not score any TDs there. Like his fellow rookie rusher Jaydon Blue, Mafah will have the opportunity to crack Dallas' backfield due to the lack of competition in front of him. This RB room will be one to watch throughout the months leading up to the NFL season.
May 7, 2025 8:14 PM EST
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