The Dallas Cowboys are in the midst of preparing for the 2019 regular-season opener against the rival New York Giants, but there is an elephant in the room. Starting running back Ezekiel Elliott is nowhere to be found due to a holdout and ongoing contract negotiations. The team has been forging ahead with the existing options such as rookie Tony Pollard and veteran Alfred Morris, but they can’t deny that the absence of Zeke has created some distractions.
Head coach Jason Garrett provided his thoughts on the matter Tuesday afternoon when he met with reporters. As Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News reported, the team is in full support of their star running back. However, there is no time to focus on his situation. The team is moving ahead with the running backs that are in the building. They have to concentrate on winning the final preseason game and then making the roster cuts to reach 53 players.
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Jason Garrett on RB Ezekiel Elliott: “We love him as a guy. We love him as a player. We want to get him back in here. Right now, we’re going with the guys we have. When Zeke gets back here, we’ll get him integrated as quickly as we can, and he’ll be a big part of our team.” pic.twitter.com/W5mUdYWiaD
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 27, 2019
“We love him as a guy,” Garrett told reporters during his media availability. “We love him as a player. We want to get him back in here. Right now, we’re going with the guys we have. When Zeke gets back here, we’ll get him integrated as quickly as we can, and he’ll be a big part of our team.”
Of course, this constant talk surrounding the status of Elliott is nothing new for the veteran coach. Garrett was also frequently asked about his running back during the 2017 season. Elliott was fighting a six-game suspension from the NFL and spent much of the early portions of the season in and out of court as he appealed. Every time a new decision was handed down, Garrett was subsequently asked for his thoughts on the matter.
This situation is obviously quite different considering that Elliott is absent due to financial reasons instead of off-the-field issues. However, nothing has changed for Garrett. He’s only focusing on what he can control, which in this case, is simply taking this team back to the playoffs and finally reaching the NFC Championship Game and Super Bowl LIV.
