Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys, responded angrily to Ezekiel Elliott when the running back questioned coaches about his restricted playing time this season. Elliott said he is “dumbfounded” by his lack of opportunities this season, particularly when the offence enters the red zone, in an interview with Cowboys reporter Clarence Hill Jr. of DLLS Sports. He acknowledged challenging his limited role and approaching the Cowboys coaching staff. Elliott told Hill, “It’s definitely a little different, but keep your head down.” All I try to do is be a good team player. My attention has been on leading this squad going forward, and I’m not making it about myself; rather, it’s about this football team (winning) games. Elliott is 70th in rushing yards (98) and ranks 55th overall among players with 30 carries as of Week 6 of the season. For the season, he has just one touchdown. Elliott was chosen fourth overall by the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. Elliott was a two-time rushing champion, a three-time Pro Bowler, and a one-time All-Pro during his first seven years in Dallas. He got a one-year contract in 2023 with the New England Patriots, but after the team let running back Tony Pollard depart, he returned home to play for the Cowboys in 2024.
Elliott wasn’t receiving as many touches as he had anticipated in the early going in the season. In Week 1, he played for 51% of the snaps, but since then, his usage has drastically decreased. It dropped to 40% in Week 2, and then to 19% and 18% in Weeks 3 and 4. But in the victory over the New York Giants in Week 5, he used snaps at a rate of thirty percent. Rico Dowdle, a running back, has started to take centre stage as the Cowboys’ backfield committee’s main threat instead.
