The Dallas Cowboys secured a notable road victory in Pittsburgh on Sunday night, bringing their season record to 3-2.

Given their injury issues and inconsistent performance over the first five weeks, this is a commendable position for the team.

However, the situation at running back remains uncertain.

The Cowboys rank near the bottom of the NFL in total rushing yards, yards per carry, and rushing touchdowns. Despite this, they seem reluctant to make changes to their running back lineup.

Prior to the season, Dallas signed veteran running back Dalvin Cook, but he has yet to play a game as he remains on the practice squad.

Cowboys insider Jon Machota reported that owner and general manager Jerry Jones addressed this issue on Tuesday, stating that they are “judiciously managing snaps” for veterans, citing the long season ahead.

This statement from Jones seems unreasonable.

Cook hasn’t seen any playing time this season, and referring to it as “managing” his snaps feels misleading.

Even if Cook were promoted to the active roster, he would likely serve as a change-of-pace back behind Rico Dowdle, rather than stepping in as the primary runner.

In Week 5, Deuce Vaughn was not active against the Steelers, while Dowdle played half of the snaps, recording 20 carries for 87 yards, along with two catches for 27 yards and a touchdown.

In contrast, Hunter Luepke and Ezekiel Elliott combined for just eight carries at an average of 2.9 yards per attempt.

It’s perplexing that Cook cannot find a place in this rotation, raising doubts about the rationale behind his signing if he isn’t deemed capable of contributing more than this current group.