There may be some people who doubt Ezekiel Elliott at this point in his NFL career, but Dak Prescott is not one of them.
Prescott was asked about his expectations for Elliott this season during Wednesday’s OTA session, and the quarterback stuck up for his backfield mate.
“Nothing ever changes for my expectations of Zeke, of who he is, how he leads this team, how he approaches the game,” Prescott said, via Jon Machota of The Athletic.
“When Zeke is healthy, I don’t think there is a better back.”
Health has been an issue for Elliott the last two seasons. A calf injury helped limit his production in 2020, when he had the worst season of his career, and the 2016 first-round pick battled knee and chest ailments last year.
Elliott still managed to start all 17 games in 2021, rushing for 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns. But backup Tony Pollard outrushed Elliott by more than one yard per attempt and often times looked like the more effective back.
Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reported today that the Cowboys are expected to revisit Elliott’s contract this offseason. They could cut him and absorb a cap hit of $11.86 million, but if Elliott stays healthy and has a strong season, Dallas is more likely to possibly restructure his deal to keep him around.