TL;DR
- Malik Davis scored his second career touchdown, a 43-yard run against the Chiefs on Thanksgiving.
- Davis, an undrafted free agent from Florida, ended a three-year scoring drought.
- He is the Cowboys' backup running back behind Javonte Williams.
The Dallas Cowboys faced off against the Kansas City Chiefs during the late-afternoon matchup of the three-game Thanksgiving schedule. The Cowboys possess one of the league's top offenses, capable of exploiting a defense through various means.
The Cowboys boast a formidable wide receiver duo in CeeDee Lamb and George Pickens, a dependable tight end in Jake Ferguson, and a resurgent veteran running back in Javonte Williams. Consequently, when Dallas found the end zone for the second time that day, onlookers were completely unaware of the player who had achieved the score.
Dallas's offense was on the field, and all eyes were on No. 43 as he broke free for a 43-yard touchdown run. The ball carrier emerged from the backfield, but it wasn't Williams. It was backup running back Malik Davis, who not only scored his second career touchdown on this play but also his first in three years.
Here is more on Davis and the scoring drought he ended on Thanksgiving against the Chiefs.
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Who is Malik Davis?
Davis, a native of Tampa, Florida, born on November 26, 1998, remained in the area for his college years, attending Florida from 2017-2021. During his time with The Gators, he participated in 46 games, amassing 1,470 rushing yards and eight touchdowns, along with 726 receiving yards and two touchdowns.
Davis wasn't selected in the 2022 NFL Draft. The Cowboys brought him in as an undrafted free agent. Davis has largely moved between the active roster and the practice squad, primarily serving as backup at running back.
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Malik Davis career stats
As a rookie in 2022, Davis participated in 12 games. He played in three games during 2023, was inactive for 2024, and has since appeared in six games in 2025 to date.
- 20 games
- 48 carries
- 211 rushing yards
- 1 rushing TD
- 6 receptions
- 7 targets
- 63 receiving yards
- 0 receiving TDs
The day following his 27th birthday, Davis reached the endzone for his second career touchdown, marking his first since 2022.
First rushing TD since 2022 for Malik Davis 💨
— NFL (@NFL) November 27, 2025
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Cowboys RB depth chart
| Position | Player Name |
| 1 | Javonte Williams |
| 2 | Malik Davis |
| 3 | Jaydon Blue -- OUT |
| 4 | Phil Mafah -- IR |
| 5 | Miles Sanders -- IR |
The Cowboys have experienced frequent changes at the running back position besides Williams. This seasoned player is definitively the team's top running back, having entered the Thanksgiving game with 896 yards and eight rushing touchdowns over 11 contests.
Dak Prescott, the quarterback, ranks second on the team with 38 rushes. Following him, a diverse group of running backs is present. The rookie running back, Jaydon Blue, holds the third-highest number of carries for Dallas, yet the coaching staff intends to keep him on the practice squad for additional repetitions. Miles Sanders, who has the fourth-most carries for the team, participated in just four games and is currently on injured reserve for the remainder of the season.
Before this game, Davis had accumulated just 10 carries for the season. While he'd managed to gain 50 yards with those carries, a significant portion of that yardage stemmed from a 21-yard run earlier in the season.