FRISCO, Texas — Ezekiel Elliott writhed on the ground Sunday afternoon after suffering what the Cowboys running back hoped was only a deep bruise to his right knee. He returned in the second half and sure looked OK, hurdling over a Detroit Lions safety on an 18-yard gain during his second carry back.
“I took a hit in my knee,” Ezekiel Elliott told reporters after the 24-6 win Sunday. “I think I’ve got a contusion on it. I still have to go back and talk to the trainers.”
As it turns out, the injury with a hyperextension mechanism is more involved than a bruise.
Elliott missed practice Wednesday because of a knee sprain, Mike McCarthy said. The Cowboys coach did not specify which ligament is sprained but said that the injury is different from the slight PCL tear that robbed Elliott of his explosiveness most of last season.
That injury, too, was to the right knee.
There was a report Wednesday that Elliott is dealing with a Grade II MCL sprain and thigh bruise, but a person close to the situation told The Dallas Morning News that neither is the case.
McCarthy indicated Wednesday morning the Cowboys’ plan is for Elliott to work with director of rehabilitation Britt Brown during practice. Elliott was not on the field during the portion of practice open to reporters; it is possible he was receiving treatment elsewhere.
Elliott said Wednesday his knee feels “stiff,” and he is unsure about whether he will play Sunday against the Chicago Bears.
The Cowboys have their bye the next week. Recently, team owner Jerry Jones made a comment that could bear relevance on the decision. Jones appeared on a local radio station Tuesday morning and was asked how the upcoming bye might influence the team’s general mentality.
“Yeah, you can say that because you look at situations and you say, ‘Boy, in a way, if this player is nicked up, and many are nicked, you could have a two-week break in there for him to mend,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan [KRLD-FM]. “That can sway you a little bit on playing a player that’s right on the edge.
“We had our big weekly personnel meeting [Monday], and the word, well, if we can get him to the bye week without him getting nicked or maybe not exposing, then we’ll have a really good chance for the rest of the year to have a healthy player. That’s the one area that I think, in planning ahead, the bye week could influence your decision.”
Jones did not mention Elliott by name, so it is possible his answer wasn’t in reference to his situation. Wide receiver Noah Brown and safety Malik Hooker also missed practice Wednesday.
McCarthy downplayed the influence the bye week could have on Elliott’s availability versus the Bears.
“Ahh, no, that’s just not the way we approach it,” McCarthy said Wednesday. “We’ll just see how he responds today, and Britt will continue to build the plan based off what they accomplish today.”
In any event, running back Tony Pollard could be in line for an increased role.
Last Sunday, Lions safety DeShon Elliott lowered his helmet into Ezekiel Elliott’s right knee to halt a 14-yard run with 2 minutes, 26 seconds remaining in the first half, resulting in a bruise. DeShon was also the safety Elliott hurdled on his second carry back.
Elliott planted off his left leg when scaling DeShon. He finished with 15 carries for 57 yards, including a pair of 1-yard touchdown runs in the second half.
