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Darren McFadden Reportedly Will Be Waived by Dallas Cowboys on Monday
November 26, 2017
The Dallas Cowboys will waive running back Darren McFadden on Monday, according to Todd Archer of ESPN.com and Ian Rapoport of NFL Network.
Archer noted "the move will be made official on Monday since there are no waivers Sunday."
The 30-year-old was expected to be in the mix at running back in replacement of the suspended Ezekiel Elliott but instead found himself inactive for the past two games and 10 games in total this season. Overall, he's been given just one carry for minus-two yards on the season, falling behind Alfred Morris and Rod Smith on the depth chart.
Per Archer, "Last week McFadden said he was 'surprised as hell,' he was inactive against the [Philadelphia] Eagles. He said the situation has been frustrating and he would use the offseason to decide whether he wants to continue to play."
His pending unemployment could make him an intriguing target for teams in need of running back depth, though his injury history and surprising fall from grace in 2017—after many expected him to be the preferred backup for Elliott—could give teams pause.
From 2008 until 2013, McFadden never completed a full season, missing 29 games over that span. He finally got on track in 2015, finishing with 1,089 rushing yards and 328 receiving yards while playing in all 16 games. This came after playing in all 16 games (starting 12) for the Oakland Raiders the year before.
Unfortunately, his bad luck returned in 2016, as he spent most of the year on the non-football injury list after fracturing his elbow in an off-field incident. McFadden appeared in only three games and rushed for 87 yards on 24 carries.
Still, the Cowboys re-signed him to a one-year deal as a backup behind Elliott. However, the team turned to Morris and Smith with their top option suspended.