Dak Prescott made his heavily anticipated return for the Dallas Cowboys in their Week 7 victory over the Detroit Lions, but now the team may be without star running back Ezekiel Elliott when they host the Chicago Bears on Sunday, according to one report.
Sources told the Fort Worth Star-Telegram that Elliott would likely miss this weekend’s game with an MCL sprain in his right knee and a thigh bruise after absorbing a massive hit by Lions safety Kerby Joseph in the second quarter of last Sunday’s game.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott lies on the ground while being attended by trainers during the game against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 23, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.
(Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
“When I saw the play, I thought it was a little ugly,” Prescott said after the game. “He said he’d be good and wasn’t too long before he was jumping a guy.”
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Elliott rushed for 57 yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries in Dallas’ 24-6 victory.
He sat out of practice on Wednesday and Thursday to work on rehab, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters on Thursday.
Elliott seemed cautiously optimistic about his availability on Wednesday.
Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott gets up slowly after being hit during the game against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 23, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.
(Matthew Pearce/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
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“I don’t know right now,” he said via the team’s website. “We still have a lot of time before Sunday. But right now, we’re just focused on getting me as healthy as I can.”
Playing through injury is nothing new for the three-time Pro Bowler. Elliott played through the majority of last season with a torn PCL in his knee. When asked how he was able to power through injuries to continue playing, he pointed to his “mentality.”
“I believe my team needs me out there. I think pain is temporary, and I need to be out there with my guys. So, that’s the priority. … It’s my job to be out there and be available.
Ezekiel Elliott of the Dallas Cowboys celebrates after scoring a touchdown against the Detroit Lions on Oct. 23, 2022, in Arlington, Texas.
(Cooper Neill/Getty Images)
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“If I can be out there, then why not? I’m not going to take a game off because I don’t feel 100%. … I think that’s soft.”
The Cowboys will lean on third-year running back Tony Pollard if Elliott is unavailable for Sunday’s game against the Bears.