Source – Cowboys RB Elliott out for disciplinary reasons

ATLANTA – Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will not play Sunday against the Atlanta Falcons due to disciplinary reasons, a source told ESPN on Saturday.

Elliott was originally supposed to be active for the game. He did not accompany the team on the chartered flight on Saturday. Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, could not be reached for comment.

It hasn’t been the homecoming Elliott has wanted since signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys in April. He has 149 yards on 48 carries and two touchdowns while catching seven passes for 40 yards in seven games.

He signed a one-year deal with the Cowboys in April worth a maximum of $3 million and $2.15 million guaranteed, including a $600,000 signing bonus.

In last week’s loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he scored his 70th rushing touchdown for the Cowboys, two behind Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, who trails only Emmitt Smith in team history.

It will be the first time in his career that Elliott will be a healthy scratch from the lineup in a game where the Cowboys’ playoff positioning is not decided. He was rested in the regular season finale in 2016 and 2018 with their spot secured.

Elliott’s spot on the game-day roster was in doubt last week against San Francisco, though a source said he would have been active even if leading rusher Rico Dowdle didn’t get sick before kickoff. He has missed only three games due to injury (in 2022 he missed two games with a knee injury; in 2020 he missed one game with a calf strain). He was suspended six games in 2017.

Dowdle, who has 246 rushing yards, is healthy this week and the Cowboys lifted Dalvin Cook from the practice squad Saturday for the second straight week.

With the New England Patriots in 2023, Elliott posted career lows in carries (184) and yards (642), but he caught 51 passes for 313 yards and scored five touchdowns.

This season, Elliott started the opener against the Cleveland Browns and led the Cowboys with 40 yards on 10 carries with one touchdown. He started last week against the Niners and had 10 carries for 34 yards, including a season-long 11-yard gain in the first half. In the other five games, he hasn’t had more than eight carries or 19 yards in a game.

The Cowboys entered the season with a running back by committee, but the production hasn’t been there. They entered Sunday’s game averaging 74.1 yards a contest, which is last in the NFL. They are also in the midst of a 21-game streak without a 100-yard rusher, the longest streak in team history.

Cook posted four 1,000-yard seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2019-22), earning a Pro Bowl berth each time. Last year, he signed late with the New York Jets and had just 214 yards on 67 carries in 15 games. He played one game for the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs and had eight carries for 23 yards. He had six carries for 12 yards against the Niners.