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Cowboys sign Kendre Miller to practice squad as running back depth thins before 49ers
Dallas signed former TCU and Saints running back Kendre Miller to its practice squad and released DB Reddy Steward ahead of Sunday's game with San Francisco.
The Dallas Cowboys have added running back depth. Kendre Miller, the former TCU star the New Orleans Saints released last week, signed with the practice squad on Tuesday. To open a spot, Dallas released defensive back Reddy Steward, according to SB Nation's Blogging The Boys and the team's own transactions report.
The need came quickly. RotoBaller, citing Joseph Hoyt of the Dallas Morning News, reported that Tyler Goodson hurt his knee in Sunday's win at Indianapolis and is expected to miss multiple weeks. That leaves Javonte Williams as the starter with little proven help behind him. ProFootball Talk reported that Miller visited the team facility before the deal was done.
Miller arrives with modest NFL numbers. The Saints took him in the third round in 2023, and this season he ran 57 times for 159 yards and two touchdowns in six games. His best day was a 20-carry, 70-yard outing against the Giants in October. In Dallas he rejoins running backs coach Derrick Foster, who coached him in New Orleans in 2024, as the Fort Worth Star-Telegram noted. In Fort Worth he was far more productive: 2,410 rushing yards and 26 touchdowns over three seasons, including a team-leading 1,399 yards in 2022.
Steward's release costs Dallas a player who had been useful in the secondary. He was elevated for the Baltimore, Houston and Tampa Bay games, started two of them and made 11 tackles. Last season he played all 17 games and started five.
The move also fits how the front office has handled the season so far. The Cowboys made no trades before Tuesday's deadline, and Brian Schottenheimer told the Dallas Morning News, "I'm very comfortable in our team." Any fixes will come from inside the building and from the practice squad.
What it means for San Francisco
Dallas is 4-5 and has alternated wins and losses for the last six games. The latest was a 27-23 win over the Colts that followed a 33-30 home loss to Arizona. Home games have been the problem: the Cowboys are 1-3 at home and 3-2 on the road. They have scored 246 points and allowed 236, and seven of their nine games have been decided by 10 points or fewer. The 49ers visit Sunday on Fox, and DallasCowboys.com noted that the Dallas defense will likely face Keenan Allen for a second straight week after San Francisco acquired him from Indianapolis.
San Francisco is favored. Across the 12 venues on this site's board, Novig has the 49ers at -194 on the moneyline and Dallas at +190. On the spread, Novig lists San Francisco -4.5 at +108. The best San Francisco number elsewhere is DraftKings at -3.5 (-115), so the venues are a full point apart on the line. Novig's total is 55.5, and the best under price anywhere is Hard Rock Bet at 56 (-110). Sportsbook hold runs between 2.9% and 5.3% across the markets.
If Miller is elevated for the game, he would most likely play behind Williams. His reunion with Foster is probably the best case for having him ready by Sunday. More on the season is on the Cowboys team page.