FRISCO, Texas — Emari Demercado spent part of his summer buying a house in North Texas. Then, on Monday, the Dallas Cowboys claimed him off waivers from the Kansas City Chiefs. The Chiefs had waived him Sunday while trimming the roster to 53.
Dallas made room by waiving quarterback Joe Milton III. Demercado was claimed onto the active roster, putting him in the mix to dress for the Sept. 13 opener against the New York Giants. That game starts at 7:20 p.m. CT at MetLife Stadium and will air on NBC.
Demercado said he prayed about where he would land over the weekend and leaned on God to work it out.
“It’s been obviously a roller coaster,” Demercado said. “Get cut, nobody’s excited about that. But to get the call that I was coming back here, I just bought a house here this summer. So couldn’t have written it better.”
His path to the NFL included five years at TCU after one season at Saddleback College in Mission Viejo, California. Demercado rushed for 1,026 yards and 15 touchdowns at Saddleback. He also caught 54 passes for 443 yards and 2 scores. In 2022 at TCU, he had 681 yards and 6 touchdowns on 121 carries, plus 13 receptions for 65 yards and another touchdown. His biggest rushing game that postseason came in the College Football Playoff semifinal, when he ran for 150 yards and a score. Demercado added 59 rushing yards in the national championship game.
Demercado said he is glad the Cowboys wanted him, two days after Kansas City let him go.
“It’s basically home for me now,” Demercado explained. “So I’m extremely blessed to be back here. Obviously, nobody’s happy about that. But just having a lot of uncertainty, but just praying about it, leaning on God to just work it out, and here I am. So couldn’t ask for anything better.”
Emari Demercado And Jalen Thompson Attended The Same High School
Demercado grew up in Inglewood, California, and attended Downey High School in Downey, California. Cowboys safety Jalen Thompson attended Downey as well, after starting out at La Serna High School. The Arizona Cardinals took Thompson in the fifth round of the 2019 NFL supplemental draft, and he spent seven seasons in Arizona before signing with Dallas in March on a three-year deal worth up to $36 million. Thompson has 578 career tackles and 9 interceptions. He and Demercado were teammates in Arizona for all three of Demercado’s seasons there.
“I told him we must be meant to be on the same NFL team,” Demercado said. “It’s crazy. But just super blessed to be here with some of my old college teammates too.”
Demercado came into the NFL with Arizona as an undrafted free agent in 2023 and made the 53-man roster out of camp. He has since appeared in 40 games, starting twice as a rookie. His 126 career carries have gone for 819 yards and 3 touchdowns, a 6.5-yard average. Demercado has another 324 yards and 1 touchdown on 50 receptions, with 70 targets. He has returned kicks for 150 yards as well.
The Cardinals did not tender Demercado as a restricted free agent, allowing him to hit the market March 5. Kansas City signed him a week later, on March 12, to a one-year deal worth $1.25 million. He remained with the Chiefs through camp before being waived Sunday.
Emari Demercado Joins A Dallas Cowboys Backfield Behind Javonte Williams
Dallas kept Javonte Williams, Malik Davis, and fullback Hunter Luepke at the position Sunday and waived Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah, both 2025 draft picks. Blue is signing with the Philadelphia Eagles practice squad. Demercado is the third running back on the depth chart behind Williams and Davis.
Williams ran for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns on 252 carries in 2025. Dallas followed that season with a three-year, $24 million extension. Davis got into 10 games and totaled 250 yards and 2 touchdowns on 52 attempts. He averaged 4.8 yards per carry.
Arizona comes to AT&T Stadium in Week 8.
