The Dallas Cowboys walked out of Lumen Field on Saturday night with a preseason win over the Seattle Seahawks. But they also walked out with an injury concern worth monitoring heading into next week. Dallas Cowboys running back Phil Mafah was ruled out in the fourth quarter of the preseason opener after suffering a chest injury.

Cowboys head coach Brian Schottenheimer addressed the situation after the game and gave fans some relief.

“Cowboys RB Phil Mafah (chest) is doing OK,” Schottenheimer said after the win, per Joseph Hoyt of The Dallas Morning News.

Schottenheimer didn’t go into further detail beyond that update. Mafah is expected to undergo treatment on Sunday, and a clearer picture of his availability for next week’s game against the Arizona Cardinals should emerge after that.

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Mafah, a seventh-round pick by the Cowboys in 2025, had a short night after leaving the game with the injury. He had four carries for nine yards and caught one pass for six yards.

The setback came at a bad time, with Mafah competing against second-year running back Jaydon Blue for the No. 2 spot behind Javonte Williams. Schottenheimer had also said before the game that both backs were expected to get plenty of chances during the preseason.

Beyond Mafah’s injury, the night presented its own challenges for the Cowboys. Dallas was flagged for 13 penalties during the game. That number surpassed their 11-penalty total from the 2025 preseason opener. Left tackle Marcellus Johnson alone drew two back-to-back penalties, a false start and an illegal use of hands.

Schottenheimer addressed the discipline issues at halftime. “At the end of the day, the penalties are killing us. We have to be way better with our hands. We gotta run the ball. We’re not getting any movement up front. Hey, it’s young-guy football,” Schottenheimer said, per Jon Machota of The Athletic on X.

The Cowboys still won 17-7, the first preseason opener they won after almost a decade, since 2017, but the night left Schottenheimer with both positives to build on and several areas that need attention.

For Mafah, though, the immediate takeaway is more encouraging. Schottenheimer’s “doing OK” update gives Dallas some relief after the chest injury, while the Cowboys can now wait for more information before determining how much the setback will affect Mafah’s preseason workload and his push for the RB2 role.