FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys signed running back Israel Abanikanda to their practice squad Thursday, two days after waiving him from the 53-man roster.
Dallas announced the move on social media a little after 10 a.m. CT. Abanikanda went unclaimed on waivers before the Cowboys brought him back.
On Tuesday, the Cowboys waived him to open a roster spot for running back Tyler Goodson, whom they signed off the practice squad of the Atlanta Falcons. Under NFL rules, a player signed away from another team’s practice squad has to go on his new team’s active roster.
Malik Davis Injury And The Tyler Goodson Signing
Abanikanda spent four days on the active roster. Dallas promoted him from the practice squad Saturday, Sept. 12, after placing running back Malik Davis on injured reserve.
Davis was carted off the practice field the day before with a hip injury. He had surgery that Saturday, and the injury is season-ending. Through training camp and the preseason, Davis had held the No. 2 job behind Javonte Williams.
After promoting Abanikanda, Dallas had no running backs left on its practice squad.
Abanikanda was inactive Sunday night when the Cowboys lost 28-20 to the New York Giants at MetLife Stadium. Williams ran 12 times for 41 yards and a touchdown in the opener. He also caught five passes for 31 yards and another score.
Emari Demercado was the other active running back. Dallas claimed him off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs at the end of the preseason. Fullback Hunter Luepke is also on the roster.
Goodson, 25, went undrafted out of Iowa in 2022. In 33 games with the Indianapolis Colts from 2023 through 2025, he ran 54 times for 264 yards and a touchdown. He caught 19 passes for 103 yards and a touchdown over that stretch and made one start.
Israel Abanikanda’s Training Camp And NFL Career
Last November, Abanikanda joined the Cowboys practice squad for the first time. He signed a reserve/future contract with Dallas in January.
In the preseason, he played in all three games and ran for 36 yards on seven carries in his first appearance. Dallas waived him at final roster cuts and re-signed him to the practice squad a day later.
On Aug. 20, the final practice of training camp in Oxnard, California, Cowboys coach Brian Schottenheimer said he did not know Abanikanda before Dallas signed him late last season.
“When you watch those guys compete, Malik, the guy is consistent. He’s a good football player,” Schottenheimer said. “He’s good on offense. He’s good on special teams. He’s good in pass protection. He’s a good runner. He runs behind his pads. He makes positive yards. He has not been a surprise.”
“I’ve been very pleasantly surprised with Izzy,” Schottenheimer continued. “Didn’t know him. We got him late last year. Big, powerful man that runs hard, good speed. You haven’t even really seen his speed come to life, but he’s very, very fast. He’s a finisher. … If he gets space, he’s hard to catch because he’s fast and powerful from the lower body down. Those guys have earned the right to get more reps with the ones.”
The New York Jets drafted Abanikanda in the fifth round, 143rd overall, in 2023. As a rookie, he appeared in six games and ran 22 times for 70 yards. He caught seven passes for 43 yards. Those six games are his only regular-season appearances.
After the Jets waived him in 2024, Abanikanda spent time with the San Francisco 49ers and the Green Bay Packers.
In 2022, his final season at Pitt, he ran for 1,431 yards and 20 touchdowns and was a first-team All-American. That October, he set the school’s single-game rushing record with 320 yards against Virginia Tech.
The Cowboys host the Washington Commanders in their home opener Sunday at AT&T Stadium. Kickoff is set for 3:25 p.m. CT on Fox.
