Expectations for Cowboys Rookie Jaydon Blue in Preseason Debut

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Young football player practicing at training camp with Dallas Cowboys gear on a sunny day.
3B797WJ Dallas Cowboys' Jaydon Blue runs a drill during an NFL football team's rookie camp, Saturday, May 3, 2025, in Frisco, Texas. (AP Photo/Jessica Tobias)

The 2025 preseason has been one to forget for the Dallas Cowboys; the sloppy performances have been hard to watch, and the notable absences, like rookie Jaydon Blue, have hurt the excitement for those games.

Luckily for the Cowboys offense and their fans, the Blue debut is just hours away, as the team gets ready for its final preseason matchup against the Atlanta Falcons.

After being held out for the preseason, and a good bit of training camp for a heel/ankle injury, we are set to finally see what the former Texas Longhorn can do.

Despite his late selection in the 2025 NFL Draft, Blue remains one of the most important rookies in Dallas. Overall, he could become a key piece for the entire team if he flashes the explosive ability he had in college.

Needless to say, he will be important to watch tonight against the Falcons, so let’s discuss what the expectations are for his first in-game action.


Full Go? Injury Limitations? What Can Jaydon Blue Do?

From all inclinations, including from the man himself, Jaydon Blue is back to 100% and should play that way tonight.

Cowboys rookie RB Jaydon Blue (ankle) was a full participant in todayu2019s practice. He didnu2019t have any limitations. u201cIu2019m feeling great. I feel Iu2019m back to myself.u201dnnu201cI think I was having a great camp before I went down. Iu2019m just ready to showcase (whFriday.u201d https://t.co/hAi9nCVLbG
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Blue has said he’s feeling “great,” and that he is ready to “showcase” what he can do against Atlanta. Some may say it’s just a preseason game, but this has to mean a lot for a guy who has battled his way back to his debut.

The one caveat here is whether Dallas, and more specifically Brian Schottenheimer, will use him as if he is all the way back.

They could play this thing a few different ways: first, they could try to capitalize on his recovery and get him up to speed, essentially letting him run wild. They could also do the opposite by avoiding any risk and keeping his snaps in check.

We’ve seen the Cowboys put a full focus on getting the young guys snaps, like with Joe Milton, for example. That should be the kind of night Blue has.

“It’s not that we want Joe to win the job or Will to lose the job. We need to figure out more about Joe.”

– Brian Schottenheimer

#Cowboys

They’ve taken it slow with him, understandably, but the kid has been fully cleared and will need real work if he’s going to contribute early in the season. It should be the Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah show against the Falcons.

If it’s not, it will be a wasted opportunity by the coaching staff to get a peek at what’s ahead with their explosive rookie running back.

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Mark Heaney is an NFL scout and sports journalist who has covered college football and the NFL since 2018. He has professionally evaluated over 1,000 NFL Draft prospects. At InsideTheStar.com, Mark has published 319 articles on ITS reaching over 1.1 million readers. His work has also appeared on FanSided, Whole Nine Sports, and Downtown Sports Network. Mark studied at UNC Charlotte and served as a media intern for the Charlotte 49ers football program.

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VAM
VAM
Aug 22, 2025 4:36 PM

Really anxious to see what Blue can bring to the backfield. He had homerun hitting, angle defeating type speed in college, and hopefully that translates to the NFL. Also want to see if Milton looks any better than what he has shown so far.

Cowboys fan
Cowboys fan
Aug 22, 2025 6:59 PM

I think it depends on what offensive linemen are playing tonite!! If it’s a good group of linemen then Blue should have a good nite!! But if they start the backups and border line roster players then we mite not see the best of Blue!!

bardolf
bardolf
Aug 23, 2025 10:22 AM

Blue’s limiting factor will be injuries he will sustain. He’s not big enough at the position to take the pounding. I just don’t think he will make much of an impact for this Cowboy offense.

Cowboys fan
Cowboys fan
Aug 25, 2025 7:25 PM
Reply to  bardolf

He’s not that small!! There’s been lots of RBs smaller than him that’s came to the NFL and had great careers!! There’s a few of them in the NFL right now that are really good RBs for their teams!! Just look at the rams RB!! He was the same size as Blue when he was drafted, and look at him now!! He’s one of the best RBs in the NFL!! So don’t think Blue can’t make an impact just because he’s smaller than most of the other RBs in the NFL!! Blues speed and cutting ability will make him an impact player!! And he’s a threat to score every time he touches the ball!! And he’s a great receiver too, so he can impact the game in more than one way!! He’s gonna be a really good RB, and you’ll see that petty soon!!