Cowboys' Ezekiel Elliott: People Calling for Tony Pollard Aren't 'Signing the Checks'

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott responded Thursday to those who believe his backup, Tony Pollard, should receive more touches.

"You hear it but what really matters is what's going on in this building.," Elliott said, per ESPN's Todd Archer. "I mean they're not the one signing the checks. They're not the ones sending the wires."

Though Pollard has largely outperformed Elliott so far this season, the Cowboys signed Zeke to a six-year, $90 million contract extension in 2019.

While Elliott leads the Cowboys with 27 rushing attempts, he is second to Pollard in rushing yardage by a 123-103 margin. They have each rushed for one touchdown as well.

Pollard has been dynamic in averaging 7.7 yards per carry, while Elliott has averaged only a pedestrian 3.9 yards per tote.

Additionally, Pollard has been more effective in the passing game with seven receptions for 60 yards compared to Elliott's four grabs for 32 yards.

Last week in particular marked one of the best performances of Pollard's young career, as he rushed for 109 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries, while also catching three passes for 31 yards.

By comparison, Zeke rushed 16 times for 71 yards and a score to go along with two receptions for 26 yards in Dallas' 20-17 win over the Los Angeles Chargers.

Elliott has the pedigree on his side, as he was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft and is a three-time Pro Bowler and one-time first-team All-Pro.

The 26-year-old veteran also has three seasons with at least 1,300 rushing yards to his credit and has rushed for 47 touchdowns in his career.

Pollard was less heralded coming out of college as a fourth-round pick out of Memphis in 2019, but he has been effective when called upon.

The 24-year-old averaged 5.3 yards per carry as a rookie, and last season he rushed for a career-high four touchdowns, while also setting personal bests with 28 receptions for 193 yards.

While the fact that Pollard is younger, more explosive and far cheaper will undoubtedly lead to whispers, there is likely room for a significant role in the Cowboys offense for both Pollard and Elliott.

They combined to rush for nearly 200 yards last week, and the balanced offensive attack helped Dallas net its first win of the season, as a pass-heavy approach in Week 1 was unable to sink the Tampa Bay Buccaneers.

If head coach Mike McCarthy intends to take some of the pressure off quarterback Dak Prescott moving forward, it wouldn't be surprising to see Elliott and Pollard both net double-digit touches on a weekly basis.