Jerry Jones Addresses Ezekiel Elliott's Shaky Job Security With Cowboys

Week 10 marked Ezekiel Elliott's return to the Dallas Cowboys' lineup after being a healthy scratch for the first time in his career one week earlier. Unsurprisingly, the veteran runner failed to make an impact in the Cowboys' 34-6 loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles, turning six carries into a mere 22 rushing yards while fumbling the ball once.

Elliott, 29, has been tough to watch following his return to Dallas, however, that hasn't stopped America's Team from giving him opportunity after opportunity. It's gotten to the point where Cowboys supporters are wondering if the struggling RB's workload is contingent on his name and past accomplishments rather than his current production.

So, is it time for the Cowboys to take off their goggles and finally see Elliott for who he is?

Cowboys News: Jerry Jones Not Worried About Ezekiel Elliott

While some fans are concerned that the franchise is holding on to years gone by, Cowboys owner/general manager Jerry Jones doesn't believe that's the case when it comes to Elliott.

"We're not living in the past with Zeke," Jones told 105.3 The Fan on Tuesday morning, according to The Athletic's Jon Machota. The 82-year-old owner added that he still feels positive about Elliott's return even if it hasn't gone as planned.

It's commendable to see Jones standing up for his player, however, that doesn't mean he's right. If the Cowboys weren't living in the past, they likely would've made a real play to sign either Saquon Barkley or Derrick Henry this offseason. Instead, they opted to hand the No. 1 RB reins over to Elliott, who's been on the decline in recent years.

Let's state the obvious: there's no taking away from what Elliott accomplished in his first stint with the Cowboys. The former Ohio State currently ranks third in franchise history when it comes to carries (1,935), rushing yards (8,433), and rushing touchdowns (70), cementing himself as one of the best RBs that Dallas has ever seen.

Nobody would be complaining if Elliott was still performing at that level but that isn't the case. The three-time Pro Bowl runner is averaging the fewest rushing yards per game (21.4) and yards per carry (3.2) in his career this season and has only hit the 40-yard mark once throughout his first eight outings.

Cowboys fans thought the coaches were ready to move on from Elliott when he was a healthy scratch in Week 9. After all, Rico Dowdle tallied 107 scrimmage yards and a TD in his absence while Dalvin Cook continued to see more playing time.

Dallas didn't build off that performance, though, instead reverting to its old ways by scratching Cook on Sunday while Dowdle recorded two fewer touches upon Elliott's return. If anything, that proved that the coaching staff isn't ready to move on from the past just yet.

We'll see where Elliott stands in the offensive plans when the Cowboys host the Houston Texans at AT&T Stadium this weekend. It's shaping up to be another lopsided tilt in Dallas as FanDuel Sportsbook is currently listing the Texans as 7.5-point favorites over the Cowboys in Week 11.

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