Veteran RB addresses reduced Cowboys role

Ezekiel Elliott returned to the Cowboys this offseason and was positioned to occupy a role in the team’s backfield committee in 2024. So far, though, he has yet to handle a notable workload.

Elliott has logged a 31% snap share through five games this year. The former rushing champion has received double-digit carries once (Week 1), and his opportunities in the red zone have not been as frequent as expected. Viewed as a short-yardage specialist at this stage of his career, Elliott has seen Rico Dowdle handle the bulk of running back touches in a variety of situations over the past two weeks.

When addressing the situation publicly, Elliott said he has spoken with the team about his usage. Signed to a one-year, $2M deal following the draft, the 29-year-old was brought back shortly after Dallas elected not to add a rookie running back, something many expected the team to do. With Tony Pollard no longer in place, Dowdle has taken on lead back duties with Elliott seeing between three and six carries over the past four contests.

“It’s definitely a little different but keep your head down,” the former No. 4 pick said via DLLS’s Clarence Hill Jr. “I just focus on being a good teammate. I’ve been focusing on continuing to help lead this team and I’m not making it about me, it’s about this football team [winning] football games.”

Elliott’s efficiency waned over the final years of his first Dallas stint, and his yards per carry (3.5) last year with the Patriots were the lowest of his career. That figure currently sits at 3.3, so early-down usage should not be expected. Dalvin Cook resides on the practice squad, but he has yet to suit up for the Cowboys. Head coach Mike McCarthy indicated no changes to the workload at running back are anticipated at this point (h/t WFAA’s Ed Werder).

During an appearance on 105.3 The Fan, owner Jerry Jones indicated via Jon Machota of The Athletic that the Cowboys are “saving” Elliott at this point in the season. It will be interesting to see if the team — which ranks 31st in the league with an average of 82 rushing yards per game — leans on Elliott more following the discussion about his usage. How snaps are divvied up in the red zone in particular will be worth monitoring moving forward.