Report: Ezekiel Elliott 'dumbfounded' by lack of opportunities with Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott has confirmed he talked to the coaches about his role and remains ‘dumbfounded’ by the lack of opportunities at least as a red zone back, according to Clarence Hill, a Cowboys beat writer.

Hill made sure to let everyone know that Elliott was simply answering the questions he was asked by reporters on Thursday. The veteran tailback has continued to be a good teammate in practice and fulfill his media obligations every week, despite having a diminished role on the roster.

Elliott spoke on his diminished role with the team. “It’s definitely a little different but keep your head down,” he said. “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).”

It’s not exactly groundbreaking news that Rico Dowdle has surpassed Elliott in the Cowboys’ pecking order of their backfield. Dowdle has looked impressive in the first part of the year. He has 54 carries for 221 rushing yards. As a receiver, he has hauled in 14 carries for 101 yards and two touchdowns.

Elliott is clearly not the running back he once was, far from it. But he was exceptional during his prime. You’d be hard pressed to find a better blocking running back than Elliott during his prime with the Cowboys. He was truly another offensive lineman in the backfield, turning the brutal job of blocking as a running back into quite the art form.

Elliott has had a pretty exceptional NFL career, with four seasons of over 1,000 rushing yards or more. That’s simply not easy at a position where longevity is at a remarkably high premium. In 125 games played, Elliott has 2,095 carries for 9,002 rushing yards and 72 touchdowns.

As a receiver, he’s hauled in 362 catches for 2,685 yards and 14 touchdowns. Most recently with the New England Patriots in 2023, he managed to rack up over 900 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns.

Ezekiel Elliott was a prolific running back at Ohio State

Elliott was a former four-star recruit in the 2013 cycle, according to the On3 Industry Rankings. Rated as the No. 14 overall running back in America in the class, Elliott not only met those expectations during his time in Columbus, but when he hung up his cleats, he’d cemented himself as one of the greatest players ever to suit up at the school. In the first ever College Football Playoff, Elliott shredded the Alabama defense to the tune of 230 rushing yards on 20 carries to lead them to a 42-35 win.

He also had an 85-yard touchdown run to seal the win. He capped off their championship season by running for 246 yards on 36 carries and scoring four touchdowns against the Oregon Ducks. Not only did he lead the Buckeyes to a national title, but it was the third most rushing yards ever recorded in a single game in OSU football player history.