Javonte Williams remains the Dallas Cowboys' featured running back. Everything behind him changed in a hurry after Malik Davis left Friday's practice at The Star with a hip injury that DallasCowboys.com says will require Saturday surgery and is expected to land him on season-ending injured reserve.
Nick Eatman's report for the team site cast Davis as the No. 2 back who had won a close August competition and figured to have a role in Sunday's offensive plan against the New York Giants. That plan now runs through Williams first, Emari Demercado second, and practice-squad option Israel Abanikanda as a possible third piece via elevation or roster activation.
Williams stays at the top
DallasCowboys.com identifies Williams as the starter and bell cow who signed first in free agency in 2025, delivered a breakout year, and later received the club's first contract extension at the position. Nothing in Friday's injury news alters that hierarchy. The opener - Sunday Night Football at MetLife Stadium, 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC - still starts with Williams as RB1.
What changes is how thin the next wave looks. Davis was not a speculative depth piece; Eatman wrote that he had earned the backup job and was expected to contribute against the Giants even after Demercado's late arrival.
Demercado moves into the backup lane
Demercado, a TCU product claimed off waivers after the initial cut to 53, was added as a third back for depth and special teams, according to DallasCowboys.com. With Davis out, NBCDFW summarized the same shift: Williams starts, and Demercado is positioned to become the primary backup.
That is a fast climb for a player who was not on Dallas's roster through most of camp. The waiver claim that looked like insurance now looks like the club's first call after Williams. Special teams value remains part of Demercado's profile in the team site's framing, but the offensive snaps that would have gone to Davis are the new question heading into Week 1.
Abanikanda as the practice-squad lever
Israel Abanikanda is on the practice squad. DallasCowboys.com said the Cowboys could use a game-day elevation or put him on the active roster if they want a third running back available at MetLife. NBC Sports' fantasy note likewise listed Abanikanda as the practice-squad name behind Williams and Demercado.
