The 2026 season has officially come to an end for backup Cowboys running back Malik Davis, a full 36 hours before it even officially began. But professional football is a next-man-up endeavor, and that move now opens the door and creates an opportunity for someone else.
The Cowboys placed Davis on injured reserve after he underwent hip surgery on Saturday. The procedure follows an injury Friday that required Davis to be carted off the practice field. The 27-year-old, who had won the battle for the team's RB2 slot behind Javonte Williams, was not designated for return and will therefore miss the entire season. He is scheduled to become a restricted free agent at the end of the year.
With newly-signed Emari Demercado and fullback Hunter Luepke the
only regular ballcarriers on the bench, that left the Cowboys with a decision to make regarding their backfield depth. To beef up their ground-game platoon heading into a Week 1 divisional matchup against the Giants, the Cowboys have called up Israel Abanikanda from the practice squad, signing the fourth-year man to the active 53-man roster.
The @dallascowboys placed RB Malik Davis on Reserve/Injured.
— Dallas Cowboys Public Relations (@DallasCowboysPR) September 12, 2026
The club signed RB Israel Abanikanda to the active roster from the practice squad.
Abanikanda joined the Cowboys practice squad late last season but did not see the field. He was part of the team's roster cuts on Aug. 30, along with running backs Jashaun Corbin and former draft picks Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah; only Abanikanda was invited back to the 2026 practice squad.
The ex-Pitt Panther has not appeared in a regular-season NFL game since 2023, when he was a fifth-round draft selection and a 21-year-old rookie with the Jets. Still not yet 24, Abanikanda remains a largely unproven talent, with just 22 career carries and 70 rushing yards to his name on a total of 82 NFL snaps.
But now he's one step closer to building on that body of work.
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This article originally appeared on Cowboys Wire: Cowboys move Malik Davis to IR; call up practice squad RB to 53-man roster
