Ezekiel Elliott has hit a new low at Arlington. On Saturday, the Dallas Cowboys announced that the Pro Bowl running back will not travel to Atlanta for the Week 9 fixture against the Falcons.
The announcement arrives at a very crucial juncture for the Cowboys. They sit 3-4 and require all the help they need, especially on the ground, considering Mike McCarthy’s team lingers at the bottom of the league for yards per carry and touchdowns scored. So the decision to leave the 29-year-old makes little sense unless there’s something else wrong behind the scenes.
While the Cowboys themselves did not cite any specific reason for the sudden demotion, several leaks from within the organization hinted that the Cowboys benched Ezekiel Elliott for disciplinary reasons.
CBS Sports Jonathan Jones first broke the reason behind the Cowboys not including Elliott in their roster for the Falcons game.
Ezekiel Elliott not traveling with the Cowboys for disciplinary reasons has been building for some time within the team, a source tells me. It was in everyone’s best interest he not accompany the team this weekend.
Jonathan Jones reported via X
Jones’ revelation received backing from Dallas insider Kevin Gray Jr. and ESPN’s Todd Archer.
Football fans speculate the Cowboys may cut Ezekiel Elliott
Elliott hasn’t had the triumphant return he and the Cowboys fans had hoped for. During the week 8 defeat to the 49ers, Elliott only contributed 34 yards from 10 carries and overall has 149 yards on 48 attempts. This is a complete 180 from his first stint with the Dallas outfit when he led the league in rushing three times.
This year he’s third in the rushing department led by Rico Dowdle. With Dalvin Cook back in action, fans believe Elliott’s in trouble and may even lose his job.
Owner Jerry Jones has faced severe criticism throughout the year for not signing a quality running back and then bringing Elliott back from New England. And even after that, the Cowboys limited his time on the field.
In October, reporters asked Jones the reason behind not playing Elliott too much. The question left him dumbfounded, and in return, he also provided an equally awkward answer.
He’s very much aware of the part of the running game that he’s involved with. But more importantly—and I can’t emphasize this enough—we’re saving him, and we should be.
Jerry Jones said
Are the Cowboys still saving Elliott by benching him, or will they move on from him? He only signed a one-year deal, so he will hit free agency after this season.
