Ezekiel Elliott Unconcerned About Injury, Ready to Go vs Seattle
Jason Garrett chose to play most of his starters on offense and defense during the Dallas Cowboys’ 36-35 win over the New York Giants in Week 17.
But there was one notable (and worrying) absence from the Silver Star lineup – tailback Ezekiel Elliott, who suffered multiple minor injuries throughout the 2nd half of the 2018-19 season.
Never fear – Elliott is planning to touch the ball early and often when the Cowboys host the Seattle Seahawks in the NFC Wild Card round this Saturday at Jerry World.
“Normally after a real game I’m not feeling ready to play until about Friday, Saturday, but I’m ready to go right now,” said the star RB after a Tuesday practice at the Cowboys’ facility.
Garrett has hinted to the media that Elliott’s scratch from last weekend’s active roster was a matter of letting the 3rd-year Ohio State product rest and recuperate from ordinary bumps and bruises, not the result of a more-serious injury. When you carry the ball 25 or 30 times a game, you might get hit 90 to 100 times in the game, particularly a guy like that who makes people miss and breaks tackles and all of that,” said the skipper on Tuesday. “So he carries a big burden for our offense. He embraces that, but any time you can give him rest, I think it’s a good thing for him, and hopefully he can come back fresher than ever.”
Elliott is one of the most consistent and effective backs in the National Football League, carrying for an average of over 100 yards per game throughout his young career. The 23-year-old has terrorized opposing defenses in 2018, galloping for over 1400 yards on the ground and adding 77 receptions for 567 yards with 9 combined touchdowns.
