Jaydon Blue was among the rare late-round picks from the 2025 draft who enjoyed a lot of hype entering the season. CBS Sports’ Chris Trapazzo saw the young running back having a “clear path” to get some solid playing time in Year 1. But what followed was a chapter that Blue and the Dallas Cowboys would like closed for good.

The RB addressed those issues at a press conference on June 10, admitting that he wasn’t giving his 100%.

“For me, I think I didn’t start off like I should have,” he said. “Maybe it was not practicing the right way or, just on a maturity level, I think I wasn’t really there, before revealing what he is doing to get better ahead of his second season.

“Just making sure I’m practicing the right way,” Blue added, about his learnings from last year. “Whether that’s finishing the right way, setting the standard, and making sure that I’m finishing runs and everything like that. I think that was the biggest part. And the maturity thing, man. I just think I’m a completely different person than what I was at this time last year.”

A narrative about Blue not contributing enough had built in the Dallas fanbase before the 2025 season began, thanks to a former coach calling the then-rookie “borderline lazy.” Schottenheimer had also said in summer camp that Blue was “slower ” than Dallas had hoped, perhaps in adapting to the demands of an NFL offense. However, after the staffer’s comment, Blue came out swinging at camp. He’d been getting second-team reps until then, and had been moved to first-team.

But head coach Brian Schottenheimer did not deploy him enough as a rookie, penciling him in as a healthy scratch instead. The coach said in September last year that there were reliability issues with Blue last year, saying that there was a “way [he had] to perform.”

“This is an incredibly talented roster, and you have to earn your chance to get out there,” Schottenheimer added.

Blue was able to play only five games last season, tallying 129 yards for 38 carries and one touchdown. All numbers a far cry from his senior season in college, where he finished 11th-highest among RBs in rushing yards (730). Now, however, the RB seems to have turned things around completely.

“We had some really great conversations, and he took that, ingested it, took it in, and he’s come back with a great look on his face, a great work ethic, and an intelligence [that is] off the charts,” the Cowboys head coach said at the press conference, per AtoZ Sports. “The guy is football brilliant. He really is. … Night and day from where he was last year.”

Jaydon Blue is now fighting for the RB2 role behind Javonte Williams, who is a lock for RB1 after a brilliant 2025. Blue’s competitors are Phil Mafah, Malik Davis, and Israel Abanikanda, and rookie UDFA Dominic Richardson. It’s a crowded room, but Blue seems dedicated to not repeat last year’s mistakes.

Quarterback Dak Prescott has also taken note oft he young QB’s development.

Dak Prescott praises Jaydon Blue’s improved performance at OTAs

“He’s growing,” Prescott said, per the Dallas Morning News. “His ears are open, he’s listening. And if you get the ball in his hands with his speed, with his ability to make people miss, it can be fun. We just have to find ways to do that.”

Per The Athletic’s Jon Machota, Blue took first-team reps at the OTAs and worked for a considerable time with Dak Prescott. The two reportedly practiced for a good time after most players had left the field. They were running red-zone routes.

“Really, I was just grinding,” Blue said. “Just grinding, making sure I’m in the playbook, staying in contact with Dak [Prescott], my position coach [Derrick Foster], and coach Schotty all offseason. I think those things are going really well for me right now.”

With Jaydon Blue showing the right attitude and drawing praise from both Prescott and Schottenheimer, the second-year back has put himself in a strong position heading into the 2026 season. If he can carry this momentum into training camp, Blue could be a real factor in the Cowboys’ backfield.