Jones: Cowboys Aren't 'Living in the Past' with Ezekiel Elliott Despite Struggles

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones denied the idea the team is thinking with its heart instead of its head when it comes to running back Ezekiel Elliott.

During his weekly appearance on 105.3 The Fan (via The Athletic's Jon Machota), Jones asserted the Cowboys are "not living in the past with Zeke."

Cowboys fans must be feeling a sense of déjà vu as they watch the offense this season.

Though eight appearances, Elliott has run for 171 yards and two touchdowns, and his 3.2 yards per carry are on pace to be a career low. While he's not Dallas' primary ball-carrier, he's taking touches away from a more productive runner in Rico Dowdle.

It's a carbon copy of Elliott's last few years in Dallas, when the team continued leaning on him despite Tony Pollard becoming a better option in the backfield.

The outside criticism toward Elliott is beginning to hit a fever pitch after his Week 10 performance in the Cowboys' 34-6 loss to the Philadelphia Eagles. He carried the ball six times for 22 yards, and he had a costly fumble in the second quarter close to the goal line when Dallas only trailed by four points.

This came after he was suspended in Week 9 for disciplinary reasons.

From the moment Elliott returned to the Cowboys, it felt like the team was letting sentiment get in the way of doing what's best. He had steadily diminishing returns in his first stint with the team, and his 2023 campaign with the New England Patriots was largely forgettable.

The idea behind signing the 29-year-old was that he might at least be a good complement to Dowdle and stay somewhat productive in a limited role. That's simply not happening and the longer it persists it becomes harder for Jones to argue Zeke's reputation isn't coasting on his reputation.