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Ezekiel Elliott returns for a second go-around with the Dallas Cowboys. Mike McCarthy doesn’t intend to push the former bell-cow running back as hard this season.
When asked about Elliott’s expected role during Saturday’s press conference, McCarthy laid the foundation for a split backfield.
“I don’t think that’s fair,” McCarthy said (h/t Pro Football Talk). “The guy carried the ball more than anybody in the history of football in the first couple years. That’s not going to be his role. We’re running back by committee, but I think he’ll definitely play at the level that he’s played, I know, in my time here. I anticipate that. I don’t see any dropoff in the way he moves. He’s in good shape.”
McCarthy has coached plenty of featured running backs, but he labeled the committee approach “the times that we’re in.” He called a full workload a “big role” for anyone to handle over a 17-game season.
“Don’t get me wrong, they’d all like to carry like the old days and have those touches,” McCarthy said of running backs. “But you want those guys fresh for the most important time of the year.
Elliott exceeded 350 touches in three of his first four seasons, but he began ceding some reps to Tony Pollard in 2022 before Dallas released him the ensuing offseason. Despite playing every game for the New England Patriots, the three-time Pro Bowl registered a career-low 235 touches in 2023.
Regardless of his role, McCarthy is happy to have Elliott back with the team. He joked about the “old school” running back patting him hard on the butt when discussing his infectious energy.
“It’s probably as natural of a transition that you’ll ever see,” McCarthy said. “He walked in, and he has that unbelievable smile. It’s like he never left.”