COWBOYS RB MALIK DAVIS OUT WITH HIP INJURY BEFORE GIANTS OPENER

The Dallas Cowboys have ruled out running back Malik Davis for Sunday's season opener against the New York Giants after he suffered a hip injury during Friday practice. Davis was carted off the field and underwent further examination to determine the severity of the injury. Executive vice president Stephen Jones told 105.3 The Fan that Davis faced "a pretty serious injury that could take him out for some period of time". An ESPN source told senior NFL reporter Jeremy Fowler that "Cowboys are bracing for an extended absence here".

Davis secured the backup running back role behind Javonte Williams less than a month before the injury. The Cowboys initially kept only those two backs on their 53-man roster before claiming veteran Emari Demercado off waivers as a third option. During preseason, Davis recorded 29 rushing yards on five carries and caught an 8-yard touchdown pass in Week 2 against the Arizona Cardinals. Every other player on the roster had full participation in Friday's practice, with no injury designations besides Davis.

The team will likely call up Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad for Sunday's game against the Giants, according to team sources. The Cowboys may also pursue additional veteran running back options. Dallas finished the previous season with a 7-9-1 record and opened 2026 training camp aiming to improve significantly on that mark.