Pretty much anything that comes out at this time of year about your favorite NFL team needs to be packed in a layer of reality, of course. Spring in the NFL is a time when all the chubby guys have lost weight and all the skinny guys have added muscle, a time when all bad attitudes have done a U-Turn and positivity is king. Such is the case with the Dallas Cowboys, who have been doing their best to prop up second-year running back Jaydon Blue thus far at the team’s OTA practices.
Now, Blue very well might have put his disappointing rookie year behind him. But remember, the former fifth-round pick out of Texas was so underwhelming last year that he mostly remained on the inactive list, appearing in just five games, with 129 yards rushing on 38 carries. He has a long way to go to be a positive Cowboys contributor in 2026.
That’s the reality. But it appears to be so far, so good for Blue as he tries to get–and remain–in the good graces of his coach, who had a very tough talk with him after the season.
Cowboys ‘Put All Cards on the Table’ With Jaydon Blue
That was one of the takeaways from the Cowboys’ second week of OTAs. Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer met with the media before Tuesday’s practice and said that he has been bluntly honest with Blue, who had issues with focus and work ethic in 2025.
Said Schottenheimer: “He’s doing great. He came back with a different look than what he had his rookie year. I think most rookies have to figure it out. He and I had a very candid conversation at the exit interviews and we just kind of put it all out there. Put all cards on the table. He did not like being inactive and I was very honest with my opinion of why he wasn’t active. So, we had some really great conversations.”
Cowboys Seeing the Difference
That would be big for the Cowboys, who would very much like to have a thunder-and-lightning situation with steamroller starter Javonte Williams backed by Blue’s quickness and speed. That was the plan last year, and Blue was given a four-week stretch to prove himself in October, but he was found lacking and did not play again until the season finale.
Schottenheimer continued: “He took that and he ingested it, took it in and he has come back with a great look on his face and a great work ethic. Intelligence is off the charts. The guy is football brilliant, he really is. Obviously, you see the speed and explosiveness. He is going to be a huge part of what we do, but he has got to continue to do his part, which he is doing great right now. So, night and day from where he was last year.
Jaydon Blue ‘Was Just Grinding’
As for Blue, he told reporters he definitely took what Schottenheimer said to heart and changed his habits this offseason. Again, a grain of salt–Schottenheimer and the Cowboys coaches had similar conversations with Blue last year, and he did not improve.
Blue said he has gotten the message, though. “Really I was just grinding,” Blue said. “Just grinding, making sure I’m in the playbook, staying in contact with Dak [Prescott], my position coach [Derrick Foster], coach Schotty all offseason. I think those things, it’s going really well for me right now.”
It’s June. And it’s not difficult to imagine a refocused Blue becoming a big-play threat for the Cowboys in Year 2.
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