The Cowboys will be without running back Ronald Jones II for the first two games of the 2023 NFL season after he was suspended by the NFL for violating its policy on performance-enhancing drugs, according to ESPN’s Adam Schefter.
Jones, who was competing to be Dallas’s backup running back behind starter Tony Pollard, will now be unavailable to suit up until Week 3 when the Cowboys take on the Cardinals. As such, he won’t be available for either of the team’s season-opening tilts against the Giants and Jets.
Jones’s suspension could open the door for a bigger opportunity for fellow running backs Malik Davis and rookie Deuce Vaughn. Following the departure of Ezekiel Elliott this offseason, the Cowboys have carried four running backs on the roster.
The 25-year-old Jones spent last season with the Chiefs, where he rushed 17 times for 70 yards and a touchdown while appearing in six games.
Jones was a former second-round pick by the Buccaneers in the 2018 NFL draft, selected out of USC. He has struggled to carve out a significant role across his first five seasons. Across 61 career games, Jones has 2,244 rushing yards and 19 rushing touchdowns.
