What happened to Ezekiel Elliott? Cowboys give harsh punishment to RB before Falcons clash

Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys are going through a tough time. The franchise is sitting with a 3-4 record, with both the Washington Commanders and the Philadelphia Eagles with at least two games of advantage in the NFC East race. And Zeke will miss the next game.

That's not because he's injured. The Cowboys have suspended the running back for disciplinary reasons, and he has not even traveled with the team to Atlanta, as they'll play the Falcons during Week 9 of the NFL season. It's unclear what led to Elliott's absence from the team.

It's the first time he will be a healthy scratch during his career. He was the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft and played for the Dallas Cowboys from 2016 to 2022. After a one-year stint with the New England Patriots, he re-signed with Dallas during the offseason.

Ezekiel Elliott's stats for the 2024 season

The return of the running back is not going as planned. His yards-per-carry average has consistently declined since his rookie year, when he had 5.1; now, in 2024, he's sitting at just 3.1 yards per carry.

Many analysts agree that his speed and burst are all but gone. The Cowboys had a chance at signing running back Derrick Henry this offseason, but they decided to reunite with Elliott. The former Titans running back now leads the league in rushing yards, while Zeke has just 149 rushing yards in seven games.

The Cowboys have 3.4 rushing yards per carry average in the 2024 season, dead last in the NFL, with the Las Vegas Raiders sitting with 3.6 yards in 31º. The Baltimore Ravens, Henry's team, have 6.2, a full yard better than the Washington Commanders, who have 5.2 and hold the second-best average.

He signed just a one-year, $2 million deal in the offseason, so Jerry Jones won't have too many problems trying to get rid of his salary. If the Cowboys decide to release him midseason, they would have to pay less than $1 million in dead cap for the 2024 season.