Jerry Jones: Ezekiel Elliott Still Important to Cowboys After Tony Pollard's Big Game

Dallas Cowboys running back Tony Pollard seemed to establish himself as the top option in the backfield with his three-touchdown performance in Sunday's 49-29 win over the Chicago Bears.

However, Cowboys CEO Jerry Jones said after the game that the team is not giving up on Ezekiel Elliott, who sat out the game with a knee injury.

"We go as Zeke goes. … He's as important as he was before the game," Jones told reporters after Sunday's victory.

Pollard finished with 131 yards and three scores on 14 carries, including a long run of 54 yards. It was a season high in carries for him as well as his second 100-yard game of the year, the last one coming in Week 3 against the New York Giants.

Elliott, on the other hand, has not eclipsed the 100-yard mark in his seven starts this season and has a streak of 19 games under the century mark dating back to 2021. He's topped 80 yards in a game just once in 2022 and has finished with 15 or fewer carries five times. The 27-year-old has rushed for 443 yards and four touchdowns on 109 carries.

The Cowboys are now facing an interesting set of circumstances. Pollard is clearly more effective than Elliott, but it's Elliott who has the backing from the team's higher-ups. Their position is somewhat understandable, considering Elliott is earning a base salary of $12.4 million this season.

For his part, Pollard isn't trying to start a running back controversy despite many believing he's capable of handling lead-back duties.

"I mean, I’m always trying to go out there and show what I can do, prove myself right, prove others wrong and just play team ball," Pollard said this week leading up to the game, per ESPN's Todd Archer.

The Cowboys will be on a bye next week, giving them extra time to figure out their running back situation before returning to action on Nov. 13 against the Green Bay Packers.