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Todd Archer, ESPN Staff Writer
ATLANTA — Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will not play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons because of disciplinary reasons, a source told ESPN on Saturday.
Elliott was originally slated to be active for the game. He did not accompany the team on the charter flight Saturday. Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, could not be reached for comment.
It has not been the homecoming Elliott has wanted since signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys in April. He has 149 yards on 48 carries and two touchdowns, while catching seven passes for 40 yards in seven games.
He signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys in April worth a max of $3 million and $2.15 million guaranteed, including a $600,000 signing bonus.
In last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he scored his 70th rushing touchdown for the Cowboys, two behind Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, who trails only Emmitt Smith in team history.
This will be the first time in his career Elliott will be a healthy scratch from the lineup in a game when the Cowboys’ playoff positioning has not been settled. He was rested in the regular-season finales in 2016 and 2018 with their spot secured.
Elliott’s spot on the gameday roster was in question last week against San Francisco, although a source said he would have been active even if leading rusher Rico Dowdle did not fall ill before kickoff. He has missed only three games because of injury (in 2022 he missed two games with a knee injury; in 2020 he missed a game with a calf strain). He was suspended six games in 2017.
Dowdle, who has 246 rushing yards, is healthy this week and the Cowboys elevated Dalvin Cook from the practice squad on Saturday for the second straight week.
With the New England Patriots in 2023, Elliott posted career lows in carries (184) and yards (642) but he caught 51 passes for 313 yards and scored five touchdowns.
This season, Elliott started the opener against the Cleveland Browns and led the Cowboys with 40 yards on 10 carries with one touchdown. He started last week against the Niners and had 10 carries for 34 yards, including a seasonlong 11-yard gain in the first half. In the other five games, he has not had more than eight carries or 19 yards in a game.
The Cowboys entered the season going with a running back-by-committee, but the production has not been there. They entered Sunday’s game averaging 74.1 yards a contest, which is last in the NFL. They are also in the midst of a streak of 21 straight games without a 100-yard rusher, the longest streak in team history.
Cook posted four 1,000-yard seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2019-22), earning a Pro Bowl spot each time. Last year, he signed late with the New York Jets and had just 214 yards on 67 carries in 15 games. He played one game for the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs and had eight carries for 23 yards. He had six carries for 12 yards against the Niners.
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