At first, Deuce Vaughn considered keeping quiet.
The Dallas Cowboys’ second-year running back, in the midst of a battle to make the roster, developed soreness in his hamstring a few weeks ago. And Vaughn felt an initial pull not to tell the team’s trainers, he said Saturday. Maybe, he thought, the injury would heal. Maybe he wouldn’t have to miss practice and lose valuable time to bolster his case for a spot on the team.
“But I knew that wasn’t smart,” Vaughn said.
So, Vaughn did speak up and sat out of several practices. He was sidelined for last week’s preseason opener, too, and he agonized over his inability to play.
The frustration finally melted away Saturday night, when Vaughn stepped onto the field at Allegiant Stadium and delivered a jolt to Dallas’ offense during a 27-12 preseason win over the Raiders. He finished with a team-high 34 rushing yards on five carries and produced one of the game’s most eye-catching moments.
On his second snap of action, Vaughn bounced into the open field and then made a sharp cut that left a Raiders defender flailing. He ran for 12 yards on the play, the longest carry for any Cowboys running back through two weeks of the preseason and a clear indication of his return to health.
When Vaughn said after the game that he initially wanted to conceal the hamstring injury, he gave voice to the urgency that so many NFL roster hopefuls feel.
And during the game, he had the type of standout preseason performance that so many peers wish to replicate.
“For the past two weeks, I’ve been itching to play football,” Vaughn said. “So it’s one of those things where missing this past game, the first preseason game, was tough. And then getting to come out here and get to play football games — I was excited.”
Vaughn’s a short and shifty back who starred at Kansas State and became a favorite of many Cowboys fans after the team selected him with a sixth-round pick in 2023. His father’s role in Dallas’ scouting department and a knack for wiggling and bursting past defenders have helped Vaughn attract admiration.
He didn’t earn much playing time last year, though, and the Cowboys have a crowded group of running backs jostling for one or two available spots on the regular-season roster this summer. Ezekiel Elliott and Rico Dowdle appear to be locks to make the team. Vaughn, Royce Freeman (seven carries for 32 yards) and Malik Davis (five carries for 14 yards) all played Saturday and are hoping to secure a place within Dallas’ offense.
The battle for work explains why each missed practice over recent weeks left Vaughn gutted.
“It’s tough to be patient because, you know, you’re fighting for your job,” he said. “It was really hard, man, especially when it first happened.”
During the two weeks in which he rested and rehabbed, Vaughn said he made a conscious effort to keep his mind from drifting toward potential ramifications of his training camp absences. He instead tried to view any progress in his hamstring as a win on par with a strong practice performance.
Eventually, Vaughn returned Wednesday for a joint practice with the Rams. His hamstring reacted well, so he kept working out. He then suited up Saturday and put together a performance against the Raiders that earned positive reviews.
“I thought Deuce had some nice touches,” coach Mike McCarthy said. “I thought he ran well, broke tackles, bounced the ball, made some nice runs.”
Just as Vaughn described a need to remain steady through his recovery, he also used patience on the field Saturday. During his 12-yard carry, he didn’t sprint forward as soon as he saw space to do so. Instead, he bounced around near the line out scrimmage and moved toward his right without reaching top speed.
When Raiders cornerback Jake Jones closed in on him, Vaughn finally stopped taking it slow. He made his move.
The 22-year-old stuck his right foot in the ground, accelerated past Jones and ran for a first down that reminded those watching of his electrifying capabilities.
“Showcasing what I can do every time I touch the football, every opportunity I get, is the biggest thing for me,” Vaughn said. “To get this point [of making plays in games], is what I’m trying to do.”