FRISCO, Texas — Dallas Cowboys special teams coordinator Nick Sorensen said Thursday that running back Malik Davis can play a lot of different spots on special teams, including personal protector on the punt unit, where he has already played, three days before Dallas opens the season against the New York Giants.
Kickoff at MetLife Stadium is Sunday at 7:20 p.m. CT on NBC. Davis made the initial 53-man roster behind starter Javonte Williams, according to DallasCowboys.com. The Cowboys did not draft a running back in April.
A running back’s speed and vision let Davis help as a returner if needed, Sorensen said, but Davis can also block and cover.
“He’s been awesome,” Sorensen said. “He came in and did a heck of a job last year when he played, and he can do a lot of different things for you, which is cool because he’s a running back, so he has the speed and the vision, so he can help out if you need him as a returner. But he also can block. He’s tough, and he can really kind of cover in a lot of different spots on kickoff coverage.
“And then he also played PP for us,” Sorensen continued. “He can play wing on punt. So him having that flexibility and the trust that we have for him, he can play a lot of different spots on punt return, too. So someone like that’s valuable to our offense and valuable on special teams, takes it serious, plays one way the whole time, 100 miles an hour. You love guys like that on your team.”
Malik Davis Coming Off His Busiest Cowboys Season
Davis signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent out of Florida in 2022. As a rookie, he played in 12 games and ran 38 times for 161 yards and a touchdown. He played in three games in 2023, all on special teams. He spent 2024 on the practice squad and did not play in a regular-season game.
In 2025, the Cowboys waived him in April, re-signed him Aug. 8, cut him at the 53-man deadline, and brought him back on the practice squad. He was promoted to the active roster in November. In 10 games, he ran 52 times for 250 yards and two touchdowns and caught two passes for 16 yards.
Davis had a 43-yard touchdown run in the Cowboys’ Thanksgiving win over the Kansas City Chiefs, Blogging The Boys reported. On Christmas Day at Washington, he ran 20 times for 103 yards in a 30-23 win. He suffered calf and eye injuries in that game, and the Cowboys placed him on injured reserve Jan. 3.
Davis grew up in Tampa, Florida, and played at Jesuit High School. He has 411 career rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Nick Sorensen On T.J. Bass In Field Goal Protection
Guard T.J. Bass starts at left guard Sunday for Tyler Smith, who had thumb surgery, is on injured reserve, and is expected to miss four to six weeks. Bass also knows when things look different on field goal rushes, according to Sorensen.
“I think it’s awesome,” Sorensen said. “He’s always been a guard for us on field goal. He doesn’t give much penetration. He’s a tough guy. He’s smart. He knows when things look different there. There’s only so much you can do on field goal rushes. But as far as being a stout guy, really consistent for a while on that field goal protection. Again, that’s a play that’s points every single time. So he’s been great.”
Bass signed with Dallas as an undrafted free agent out of Oregon in 2023. He entered this season with 10 starts in 48 games, and the Cowboys put a second-round tender on him as a restricted free agent this offseason. Kicker Brandon Aubrey made 36 of 42 field goals last season and has made 112 of 127 in his career.
