5 Cowboys Unlikely to Return in 2025 After Poor Start to Season

After a slow start to the current NFL season, don't expect to see these five players back with the Dallas Cowboys in 2025.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) celebrates his first down run against the Cleveland Browns during the fourth quarter at Huntington Bank Field. / Scott Galvin-Imagn Images

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2. Deuce Vaughn, RB

Elliott isn't the only Cowboys RB who's likely playing on borrowed time.

A former 2023 fifth-round pick, Vaughn went from being a training camp darling last summer to an afterthought in this year's offense. The former Kansas State runner has failed to make the most of his limited opportunities, averaging a putrid 2.9 rushing yards on seven carries while making two catches for another 14 yards through four games.

Vaughn's 2024 campaign hit a new low when he was a healthy scratch against the Pittsburgh Steelers in Week 5. Even though players are scratched all the team, the 22-year-old's situation seems to be grim given that it was his first absence of the season.

Considering how Vaughn isn't an effective runner, pass-catcher, or blocker (3.6 pass block grade on Pro Football Focus), there's little incentive for the Cowboys to keep him around. If things continue at their current pace, he might not even survive the current season in Dallas.

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