Ezekiel Elliott will not play for the Cowboys against the 49ers
The Cowboys planned on Ezekiel Elliott featuring against the 49ers, but the Pro Bowl running back will be inactive this week.
Mike McCarthy and the Cowboys will need to rethink a substantial part of their gameplan against the 49ers on Sunday. Workhorse running back Ezekiel Elliott has been officially ruled out of the game against San Francisco.
The Cowboys were counting on Elliott gutting it out to play against the ‘Niners. Without him, expect Dallas to give backup running back Tony Pollard a relatively healthy workload against San Francisco’s physical defense. Andy Dalton will also be given more opportunities to throw the football without Elliott soaking up touches in the backfield.
Elliott missing one week of relatively meaningless football doesn’t change much for Dallas’ season. They’re not going to make the playoffs so, in many ways, it makes sense to be more conservative with Elliott’s health. Pushing him to play this week and risking a more substantial injury might derail the Cowboys’ future plans in a profound way.
Source: The #Cowboys won’t have RB Ezekiel Elliott. He’s inactive. A big surprise. Coach Mike McCarthy had said he expected him to play.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) December 20, 2020
His absence is still a disappointment for McCarthy and his staff as they try to build momentum heading into the offseason. No Cowboys officials will relish the idea of playing a game without Elliott or Dak Prescott. Both offensive stars are staples of what Dallas wants to build around for years to come.
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Fantasy owners should keep a close eye on Elliott’s status for the rest of the 2020 season. If his injury doesn’t improve quickly, the Cowboys could decide to shut him down completely to make sure he recovers fully ahead of 2021. It’s a situation worth monitoring closely over the coming days.