August 30, 2026: Cutdown day in Frisco left the Cowboys with 90 players to whittle down to 53. Head coach Brian Schottenheimer even considered asking the NFL to expand the limit to 55 or 56 players before deciding Dallas “probably shouldn’t call.” So he chose.
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The Cowboys kept six safeties. They cut running backs Jaydon Blue and Phil Mafah and told both not to expect a practice-squad spot. Quarterback Joe Milton III, a preseason standout, made the 53 on Sunday but was gone by Monday, hours after Schottenheimer spoke to reporters. Dallas needed his spot for a running back it had just claimed off waivers.
That running back was Emari Demercado. He offered NFL experience, special-teams value, and familiarity with offensive coordinator Klayton Adams, who had coached him in Arizona. Dallas just had to bring him in. Now, that spot is open again.
Following their 38–21 win over the Philadelphia Eagles, the Cowboys waived Demercado and tight end D.J. Rogers on Tuesday. It was Demercado’s second release from Dallas this month, naturally raising a question about what has changed since the team made room for him in August.
Demercado’s return failed to bring him back into the game-day picture
Dallas’ first decision to waive Demercado came on October 8, when the Cowboys activated left guard Tyler Smith from injured reserve. Smith had missed the opening four games while recovering from thumb surgery, and his return gave Dallas back a three-time Pro Bowl lineman who could strengthen protection for Dak Prescott and blocking for the running game. To make room for him on the active roster, the Cowboys waived Demercado, who had recorded just five carries for 15 yards in two appearances. But, he did not remain out of the picture for long.
After clearing waivers, he rejoined Dallas on October 12, with the Cowboys waiving offensive lineman Nick Leverett to accommodate his return. But the move did not translate into another opportunity on the field. Demercado was inactive against the Green Bay Packers and Philadelphia Eagles, leaving him without a regular-season appearance during his second stint. That lack of involvement matters when assessing his latest release.
Dallas had brought Demercado back as a depth option, but he had not moved into the rotation or added to his production. His experience and familiarity with offensive coordinator Klayton Adams remained useful, yet the Cowboys had little recent game-day evidence that they needed to keep him ahead of other roster options.
The timing of the October 27 decision also points to a possible roster-management reason. Dallas had opened practice windows for outside linebacker Marist Liufau and safety P.J. Locke as both worked toward returning from injured reserve. Liufau had fractured his forearm in the preseason, while Locke was recovering from a plantar fascia injury in his foot. Neither travelled with the team for the Eagles game, but both were approaching a point at which Dallas could consider activating them
Waiving Demercado and tight end D.J. Rogers created roster flexibility for the Cowboys as they weighed those returns ahead of their game against the Arizona Cardinals. While Demercado’s release was tied to his limited role in Dallas, tight end D.J. Rogers faced a different situation.
D.J. Rogers’ injury left him without a chance to compete
The undrafted rookie from TCU had signed with the Cowboys in April, hoping to earn a place on the roster. A knee injury derailed that opportunity before he could appear in a regular-season game.
Rogers sprained his medial collateral ligament (MCL) late in the preseason. Dallas waived him with an injury designation on August 30, and when no other team claimed him, he reverted to the Cowboys’ injured reserve list the following day. That meant he could not simply return to practice and compete for a spot while recovering.
His path to the roster was already difficult. Dallas had Jake Ferguson, Luke Schoonmaker and Brevyn Spann-Ford at tight end, leaving Rogers to compete for a depth role as an undrafted rookie. With the injury preventing him from showing what he could do on the field, he never appeared in a regular-season game for the team.
The Cowboys waived Rogers from injured reserve on October 27, ending his time on the roster. Unlike Demercado, whose limited playing time left him vulnerable to roster changes, Rogers’ departure followed an injury that had kept him from getting a proper opportunity in the first place.