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Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott 'Feeling Fresh' With Tony Pollard Committee

Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is embracing his newfound timeshare with running back Tony Pollard.

This past offseason, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones combatted any notion of running back Ezekiel Elliott's workload fading. Jones stated that Elliott needs to be "the focal point" and "the feature back" for Dallas going forward

However, that hasn't exactly been the case.

Elliott's 43 total touches over the first three weeks of the season marks his lowest total over that span in his career. Additionally, Elliott has just nine more touches than running mate Tony Pollard so far, as Dallas has truly embraced a back-by-committee approach.

Nonetheless, Elliott is embracing the two-headed rushing attack.

“I’m fresh,” Zeke said as the 2-1  Cowboys prep to host 1-2 Washington on Sunday. “I don’t know how else to explain it. I probably had more touches every year than I’ve had at this point ... My body feels really good.’’

Keeping Elliott from overuse is likely a focal point of this new backfield approach, as the Cowboys running back played much of last season on a torn PCL. This season, keeping Elliott "fresh" has paid off as well, as he's currently averaging 4.5 yards per carry, his highest mark since 2019 when he was last selected to the Pro Bowl.

This increasingly even backfield split in Dallas may be bad news for Elliott's fantasy owners, but it's good news for Pollard, as well as for Elliott's health. Additionally, fans and the media have been banging the table for Pollard to be more involved in the game plan. Now, they're getting their wish ... and Elliott doesn't seem to mind much. 

“All I’m worried about is winning football games and going to chase that ring," said Elliott.

If Dallas wants to "chase rings" this season, they'll need both of their standout running backs healthy, while keeping Elliott "fresh" for the schedule ahead.

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