FRISCO, Texas – They've been light at running back all season, but the Cowboys are adding a third option for the tail end of the schedule.
The Cowboys promoted Darius Jackson from their practice squad on Saturday afternoon, given them a third running back behind Ezekiel Elliott and Rod Smith. Jackson has been on the practice squad since October.
To make room on the roster, the team moved Geoff Swaim to injured reserve – a move that shouldn't be overly surprising, even if it is delayed. Swaim broke a bone in his wrist during the final minutes of the Nov. 18 win against Atlanta and has been out of action ever since.
The Cowboys initially had some hope that Swaim might return to action by the end of the season. But with Week 17 on the horizon, they evidently made the decision that getting Swaim back onto the field was unrealistic.
Instead, Jackson will get his first crack at the Cowboys' active roster in more than two years. Initially a sixth-round draft pick back in 2016, Jackson spent the first three months of his rookie season on the 53-man roster, but he was cut to make room for Darren McFadden when the veteran returned from injury.
From there, Jackson spent a year with the Cleveland Browns, where he suffered a knee injury and was eventually released. The Cowboys scooped him up this past May and brought him to training camp. When he was eventually waived at the start of the regular season, the Green Bay Packers signed him to their active roster for the first four weeks of the year.
Since the Packers released him in Week 5, he's been back with the Cowboys. It remains to be seen how the team intends to use him during these last two weeks, but he may be in line for the first carry of his pro career.
