Cowboys roster move suggests Ezekiel Elliott is out Sunday

Elliott was already far from a sure thing to play, but the Cowboys are preparing without him

As if the test of beating the Pittsburgh Steelers with Garrett Gilbert as their starting QB wasn’t tough enough, the Cowboys may now be without Ezekiel Elliott on offense as well.

Elliott suffered what looked to be a hamstring injury late in the Cowboys loss to the Philadelphia Eagles last week. Per the Cowboys latest roster move — elevating fullback Sewo Olonilua from the practice squad for more backfield depth — Dallas seems to be preparing for the worst.

No Elliott is a major issue for the Cowboys, which were expected to rely heavily on the running game against the Steelers defense. Dallas’ offensive line is far from what it used to be, meaning they won’t be able to keep Gilbert off the turf should they opt to switch to a pass-happy attack.

Who will the Cowboys turn to without Elliott?

Should Zeke miss Sunday’s game, Tony Pollard will get the majority of the carries. In fact, Pollard has already been worked into the gameplan on a week-to-week basis. He’s not the bellcow the Cowboys need, but he’s definitely capable of stepping in when necessary.

Elliott hasn’t performed up to par this season, but it’s tough to blame him. He’s the centerpiece of every opponent’s defensive gameplan without Dak Prescott to shoulder some of the load. Because of this, he’s averaging just 3.9 yards per carry.

Jerry Jones was decisive in stating that he expected Elliott to play earlier this week. The decision to promote Olonilua, however, suggests otherwise.