Cowboys' Jaydon Blue Embracing Opportunity After Rookie Year Disappointment

Jaydon Blue is ready to put his rookie season behind him and reach his potential in 2026.

Dallas Cowboys RB Jaydon Blue goes through a drill during practice at the Ford Center at the Star Training Facility. | Chris Jones-Imagn Images

When the Dallas Cowboys used the 149th overall pick in Round 5 of the 2026 NFL draft on Texas running back Jaydon Blue, fans were eager to see what he could do.

Blue wasn't a workhorse during his collegiate career, but he had excellent speed and was a dangerous option as a pass catcher out of the backfield. His explosiveness was expected to give the Cowboys a home-run threat, but that wasn't the case in 2025.

Blue hardly saw the field as a rookie, spending most of his rookie campaign as a healthy scratch. Looking ahead to his second season, however, Blue is pointing the finger at himself. The Athletic's Jon Machota recently detailed Blue's new approach this offseason, which includes the young running back taking accountability for his frustrating season, while saying the game has slowed down for him in year two.

“The game has slowed down completely for me. I just think I’m a completely different person than what I was at this time last year. I think it was just me looking myself in the mirror and (figuring out) why I wasn’t on the field like I should have been last year. Knowing how bad I want to be a part of this offense and how big of a piece I could be for this offense, helped me out a lot," Blue said via Machota.

“I think I made a 180 from where I was last year. I think I’ve gotten a lot better, whether that’s the football part, the physical part, my body, I feel really good. I’m just ready to go.”

Jaydon Blue earning the trust of the coaching staff

Dallas Cowboys running back Jaydon Blue celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the New York Giants. | Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images

It's one thing to hear the player say they see improvement, but the coaching staff has also been high on Blue this offseason. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer recently said his football intelligence is off the charts and added that Blue will be a huge part of their game plan in 2026.

That's excellent praise considering Schottenheimer had recently challenged the running backs behind Javonte Williams to step up and take advantage of the opportunity in front of them.

Blue seems to be doing that and has put himself ahead of the pack in the race to become the team's RB2 in 2026. If he can continue at this pace, it could wind up being a home run for the Cowboys as well, who would love to get his game-changing speed on the field.

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