ATLANTA — Dallas Cowboys working again Ezekiel Elliott won’t play Sunday in opposition to the Atlanta Falcons due to disciplinary causes, a supply instructed ESPN on Saturday.
Elliott was initially slated to be lively for the sport. He didn’t accompany the group on the constitution flight Saturday. Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, couldn’t be reached for remark.
It has not been the homecoming Elliott has wished since signing a one-year cope with the Cowboys in April. He has 149 yards on 48 carries and two touchdowns, whereas catching seven passes for 40 yards in seven video games.
He signed a one-year cope with the Cowboys in April value a max of $3 million and $2.15 million assured, together with a $600,000 signing bonus.
In final week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he scored his seventieth speeding landing for the Cowboys, two behind Corridor of Famer Tony Dorsett, who trails solely Emmitt Smith in group historical past.
This would be the first time in his profession Elliott might be a wholesome scratch from the lineup in a recreation when the Cowboys’ playoff positioning has not been settled. He was rested within the regular-season finales in 2016 and 2018 with their spot secured.
Elliott’s spot on the gameday roster was in query final week in opposition to San Francisco, though a supply stated he would have been lively even when main rusher Rico Dowdle didn’t fall in poor health earlier than kickoff. He has missed solely three video games due to harm (in 2022 he missed two video games with a knee harm; in 2020 he missed a recreation with a calf pressure). He was suspended six video games in 2017.
Dowdle, who has 246 speeding yards, is wholesome this week, and the Cowboys elevated Dalvin Cook dinner from the apply squad on Saturday for the second straight week.
With the New England Patriots in 2023, Elliott posted profession lows in carries (184) and yards (642), however he caught 51 passes for 313 yards and scored 5 touchdowns.
This season, Elliott began the opener in opposition to the Cleveland Browns and led the Cowboys with 40 yards on 10 carries with one landing. He began final week in opposition to the Niners and had 10 carries for 34 yards, together with a seasonlong 11-yard acquire within the first half. Within the different 5 video games, he has not had greater than eight carries or 19 yards in a recreation.
The Cowboys entered the season going with a working back-by-committee, however the manufacturing has not been there. They entered Sunday’s recreation averaging 74.1 yards a contest, which is final within the NFL. They’re additionally within the midst of a streak of 21 straight video games with out a 100-yard rusher, the longest streak in group historical past.
Cook dinner posted 4 1,000-yard seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2019-22), incomes a Professional Bowl spot every time. Final 12 months, he signed late with the New York Jets and had simply 214 yards on 67 carries in 15 video games. He performed one recreation for the Baltimore Ravens within the playoffs and had eight carries for 23 yards. He had six carries for 12 yards in opposition to the Niners.
