The success of the Dallas Cowboys' running game has been one of the biggest surprises so far early in the 2025 season. Veteran running back Javonte Williams has rushed for 447 yards on 79 carries and scored five touchdowns in five games; however, their other backfield addition this offseason, Miles Sanders, hasn't been a huge factor.
That said, Cowboys fans received some bad news on Sanders' health on Friday. According to Dallas Cowboys team writer Patrik Walker, Sanders was moved to season-ending injured reserve due to a knee injury on Friday. As a result of this injury, Dallas's running back room is extremely thin.
Although the Cowboys will likely give more snaps to rookie Jaydon Blue and could sign a free-agent RB, general manager/owner Jerry Jones should explore a trade for Baltimore Ravens running back Keaton Mitchell instead.
Cowboys Must Trade for Ravens RB Keaton Mitchell After Losing Miles Sanders
While Sanders' injury news is rough to hear, no Cowboys fan is necessarily surprised. The 26-year-old running back has had issues his whole career staying healthy because of his slighter frame. His durability was already a question entering the season, and now Dallas can officially turn the page.
After Blue didn't generate much juice in Week 5, exploring a trade for Mitchell makes a ton of sense.
The third-year running back entered the NFL as an undrafted free agent in 2023 with the Ravens. Although Mitchell did not see the field for the first five weeks of his rookie season, he proved to be explosive when he finally saw the field. As a rookie, he rushed for Mitchell for 396 yards on 47 attempts and scored two touchdowns in eight games.
Unfortunately, Mitchell suffered a torn ACL in Week 15 of his rookie season, which seemingly derailed his career in Baltimore. Since the injury, he has seen just 18 rushing attempts in six games. Although injuries played a role in the limited production, Mitchell's falling out of favor has much of that has to do with the addition of Derrick Henry to the Ravens roster.
If they were to acquire the 23-year-old runner, he could add another dimension to the Cowboys' running game. It's also worth noting that Mitchell's breakaway speed and strength would add another layer to the offense, complementing Williams' power-running ways well.
Mitchell also proved he isn't easy to take down, highlighted by seven broken tackles and 14 forced missed tackles in 2023, all while registering a rush of over 20+ yards in each of his appearances. Adding a player like him to the Cowboys’ backfield would give the team a blend of both Blue’s and Williams’ skill sets in one player.
Needless to say, the Jones Family needs to call the Ravens right away to check in on Mitchell's availability.