Ezekiel Elliott's public benching was more dramatic than it sounded for the Cowboys

2019 was a long time ago. It was a year before the global COVID-19 pandemic. It was a year before Joe Biden became the 46th president in United States' history. It's also the last time Ezekiel Elliott made a Pro Bowl, or received an accolade of any kind courtesy of the writers or his peers.

Zeke was 24 years old back then with a lot of tread on his tires, dating back to high school and then his time at Ohio State. It was his fourth season in the NFL and, unsurprisingly, all of those carries started to add up. Elliott wasn't the same running back moving forward, and eventually the Cowboys got him some help in Tony Pollard. It was the beginning of the end.

However, Elliott and Dallas agreed to a reunion this offseason. The Cowboys hoped to employ a running-back-by-committee approach, rather than sign the likes of Derrick Henry to replace Pollard, who left for the Tennessee Titans. It hasn't worked and Dallas has the worst rushing attack in the league. To make matters worse, everyone but Jerry Jones seemed to see this coming.

Ezekiel Elliott is unhappy with the Cowboys, again, and didn't travel with the team

It's unclear who Elliott thinks he is at this portion of his career. Just last season with the New England Patriots he averaged 3.5 yards per rush, easily the lowest ever for him. So far in 2024, he's averaging 3.1 yards per rush.

The Cowboys chose to make Zeke inactive for Dallas's game against the Falcons this week. Upon hearing the news, both parties agreed he would not accompany the team. What's next? Your guess is as good as mine, but the Cowboys rushing attack can't get much worse, even with Elliott watching from home.

Jane Slater of NFL Network was more thorough in her reporting regarding the tension between the Cowboys and Elliott. Saturday's announcement was a long time coming.

"Ezekiel Elliott is a healthy scratch today. The first of his career. According to a number of sources, Elliott has been distracted this season. Aside from habitual tardiness, he’s missed three team meetings with Friday’s meeting the final straw. Both parties decided it was best he didn’t make the trip to Atlanta. Dalvin Cook and Rico Dowdle will be expected to carry the load this afternoon," Slater wrote.

Per Slater, Elliott has been distracted all season, and even missed team meetings. It's unclear if the Dallas coaching staff warned Elliott about this, or what actions were taken against him behind closed doors. Nonetheless, the Cowboys are a mess, and it's clear they never should've brought Elliott back into the fold in the first place.