Report: Dallas Cowboys elevate Malik Davis to active roster with Ezekiel Elliott doubtful

The Dallas Cowboys have made a roster move that almost certainly reveals their plans with star running back Ezekiel Elliott against the Chicago Bears this weekend.

Elliott suffered a sprained right knee last week in a win over Detroit and has been listed as doubtful on this week’s injury report. To that end, the Cowboys have elevated running back Malik Davis to their active roster, according to a report Saturday from ESPN’s Adam Schefter.

Owner Jerry Jones has already suggested the Cowboys would be well-served by resting Elliott ahead of the team’s bye on Nov. 6.

“It had everything to do with how we’re doing this weekend with this bye coming up,” Jones said Friday morning on Dallas radio station 105.3 The Fan. “I’m not so sure we’d have done it this way had we not had the bye. This just gives too good an opportunity if we don’t use him.

“We’ll see how he’s responding as the week goes on but if we don’t use him, it’s just too great a time to get him in top shape.”

With Ezekiel Elliott doubtful, Cowboys elevate Malik Davis

Davis is a rookie who was undrafted in the 2022 NFL Draft, signing with Dallas after the event.

He did not make the initial 53-man roster coming out of training camp and the preseason, signing instead with Dallas’ practice squad. He has appeared in one NFL game so far, last weekend’s contest against Detroit. He played only on special teams.

But Davis had been placed back on the practice squad Monday after being elevated for the Detroit game due to an injury to Rico Dowdle.

Davis spent five seasons at Florida before entering the NFL. He ran 284 times for 1,470 yards and eight touchdowns, while also adding 70 catches for 726 yards and two touchdowns.

He’s on the lighter side, at 5-foot-10, 205 pounds, but he should offer Dallas a nice third-down option out of the backfield thanks to his pass-catching ability.