Ezekiel Elliott drama, real or not, is a twist everyone saw coming but the Cowboys

Stop me if you've heard this one before: It's mid-October, and there's drama swirling around the Dallas Cowboys' locker room. This time it revolves around running back Ezekiel Elliott, who's seen his usage plummet in recent weeks: After getting 12 total touches in the team's season-opening win over the Cleveland Browns, Elliott has seen just 12 combined over the past two weeks. And while that might seem appropriate for a 29-year-old with a whole lot of tread on his tires — and who's averaging just 3.3 yards per carry on the season — Elliott doesn't seem too happy with the arrangement.

According to Cowboys insider Clarence Hill Jr., Elliott is "dumbfounded" by his lack of usage, so much so that he's approached the coaching staff about the issue.

Jerry Jones, as Jerry Jones is wont to do, went ahead and poured a little more gasoline on the story this week, telling reporters that the team wasn't giving Elliott a ton of work because it was "saving him" in the event of an injury to starter Rico Dowdle.

In addition to just not making much sense, Jones' explanation also manages to make things worse with Elliott, who certainly doesn't feel like he needs protection at this point in his career. The situation is a mess, and given the lack of tact from all parties involved, it doesn't seem to be getting better any time soon.

None of which should come as much of a surprise. Because Dallas' decision to bring Elliott back this offseason was always doomed to fail — not just because of Zeke's lack of production on the field, but because of the personalities (and personal histories) at play here.

This was always how Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott reunion was going to end

It's been clear for a while now that Elliott isn't anywhere near the player he was when he first took the league by storm with Dallas. He hasn't cracked four yards per carry since 2021, and he was at just 3.5 with the New England Patriots last season. Elliott came into 2024 with over 2,000 carries in his career, and the history of running backs approaching 30 is well-known at this point. He's plodding, he doesn't break nearly as many tackles as he used to and he couldn't even carve out a starting role on a four-win team in 2023.

None of which would, under different circumstances, preclude the Cowboys from bringing him in. Teams bring in cheap veterans for experience and leadership all the time, and Elliott still brings some value as a pass blocker and short-yardage specialist. Of course, "under different circumstances" is the operative phrase there. The above situation only works if the player in question also understands what his role is, and that isn't now nor has it ever been Elliott's MO. When you've spent years as a feature back, it can be tough to see yourself as anything else, and Zeke clearly isn't on the same page as his team regarding who he is as a player.

And again, all of this was painfully predictable — we knew that Elliott wasn't good enough to warrant feature or even committee usage, and we knew that he wouldn't be thrilled by that arrangement. Jones could've averted all of this by spending less time wringing his hands about his salary cap and more time finding a legitimate RB1 in free agency, but if he was set on giving the job to Dowdle, the least he could've done is found any other backup who would come with far less baggage. Elliott's history in Dallas, and his history of making noise in the media, meant that expectations would always outsized for his return to the Cowboys, and sure enough, now Jones and Co. have a mess on their hands.