Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott appears to be frustrated by his lack of playing time. ALL CITY DLLS’ Clarence Hill Jr. described Elliott as “dumbfounded” with his lack of snaps and touches to start the season.
“Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott confirmed he has talked to the coaches about his role and remains dumbfounded by his lack of opportunities at least as red zone back,” Hill detailed in an October 10, 2024, message on X.
Elliott has not topped six carries since Week 1. The running back had just 6 carries for 17 yards in the team’s Week 5 win over the Pittsburgh Steelers. Elliott combined for just 11 carries over Dallas’ last two games. Hill went on to add context to Elliott’s comments, noting that the running back is not attempting to cause drama.
“For the record, before this gets turned into a selfish narrative, Ezekiel Elliott simply answered questions he was asked,” Hill added. “He has focused on keeping his head down and being a supportive teammate. He has been patient and not tried to make it about himself and his situation.
“Mike McCarthy said Elliott has been great in practice. And he has continued to fulfill his media responsibilities at his locker every week, despite his diminished role. There is nothing wrong with talking to the staff about your role. After several questions, he said we should ask the coaches. He said he was just keeping his head down and focused.”
Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones Labeled the Report on Ezekiel Elliott an ‘Exaggeration’
The Cowboys have instead leaned on Rico Dowdle, a decision which has come with mixed results. Dowdle is coming off, by far, his best performance of the season.
The running back posted 20 carries for 87 yards against the Steelers. Prior to the team’s Week 5 win over Pittsburgh, Dowdle had not topped 50 rushing yards.
Cowboys owner Jerry Jones added more confusion to the conversation by saying the team is merely saving Elliott’s legs for later in the season. Jones also fired back at Hill’s report on Elliott, labeling the description as an “exaggeration.”
“That’s an exaggeration. Dumfounded is a mischaracterization and a bad description of how he feels about things. … We’re saving him, and we should be,” Jones said during an October 11 interview with 105.3 The Fan’s “K&C Masterpiece.” “Rico is an outstanding running back. He’s always had the challenge because of his size of doing his blocking and protecting the quarterback.
“But his big problem has been what? He’s had injuries of the course of his career. So it would be madness to depend on [that]. … Zeke is there and we want to protect him over this particular period of time.”
The Cowboys Mostly Passed on Making a Move at Running Back This Offseason
Signing Elliott was one of the few moves the Cowboys made at running back this offseason. Dallas opted to pass on selecting a running back in the draft despite Tony Pollard joining the Tennessee Titans in free agency.
The Cowboys also signed Royce Freeman, but the veteran was unable to make the final roster. Elliott signed a one-year, $2 million deal with Dallas this offseason. The Cowboys also added Dalvin Cook who has yet to play a snap for Dallas this season.
