As the Cowboys prepare to hit the Mile High City for a joint practice and then their first preseason contest against the Broncos, it seems there will be another familiar face on the Denver sideline.
The Broncos signed former Cowboys running back JaQuan Hardy on Wednesday, according to Pro Football Network’s Aaron Wilson, who cited a league source.
The Cowboys signed Hardy as an undrafted free agent following the 2021 draft. The bespectacled Tiffin University product showed promise in training camp last year, was featured prominently on HBO’s Hard Knocks series, and even learned that he was related to the team’s primary rusher, Ezekiel Elliott.
Hardy spent much of the year on the practice squad and got into just a handful of games during the 2021 season. His most notable performance came in the season finale, when he scored his first touchdown and became the 22nd man on the Cowboys roster to find the end zone, setting a new league record.
Cowboys RB JaQuan Hardy scores his first career NFL touchdown. Football is a contacts sport. pic.twitter.com/1ptXw82lAZ
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) January 9, 2022
Hardy signed a reserve/futures contract with Dallas in January yet was waived by the team in July, shortly before camp.
The 5-foot-10-inch rusher reportedly drew some degree of interest from Philadelphia, Minnesota, and Pittsburgh after his release, but he ultimately signed with Denver.
The Cowboys found themselves with a skeleton crew at running back last week, as Rico Dowdle and Aaron Shampklin tested positive for COVID and were forced to quarantine. With Ryan Nall also nursing a shoulder injury, the club turned to wideouts Dontario Drummond and KaVontae Turpin to tote the rock in several drills.
Elliott has said he will not play in preseason games; Tony Pollard is also expected to see a lot of work during the season and should therefore be limited in exhibition action.
Hardy is not the only ex-Cowboy now suiting up in the orange and blue. Defensive end Randy Gregory left Dallas in a high-profile move to sign with the Broncos this spring, but he will not play in Saturday’s contest as he continues to recover from shoulder surgery.
Hardy practiced with the Broncos on Wednesday morning, but it’s not known if he’ll be ready to see any action against his former Cowboys teammates this weekend.
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