Source – Cowboys RB Elliott is out for disciplinary reasons

ATLANTA – Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will not play against the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday for disciplinary reasons, a source told ESPN on Saturday.

Elliott was originally scheduled to be active for the game. He did not accompany the team on the charter flight on Saturday. Elliott's agent, Rocky Arceneaux, could not be reached for comment.

It wasn't the homecoming Elliott had wanted since signing a one-year deal with the Cowboys in April. He has 149 yards on 48 carries and two touchdowns while catching seven passes for 40 yards in seven games.

He signed a one-year contract with the Cowboys in April worth a maximum of $3 million and $2.15 million guaranteed, including a $600,000 signing bonus.

In last week's loss to the San Francisco 49ers, he scored his 70th rushing touchdown for the Cowboys, two behind Hall of Famer Tony Dorsett, who trails only Emmitt Smith in team history.

This is the first time in his career that Elliott has a clear lead in a game where the Cowboys' playoff positioning is still unclear. He was rested in the 2016 and 2018 regular season finales and secured his spot.

Elliott's place on the gameday squad was in doubt last week against San Francisco, although a source said he would have been active even if leading rusher Rico Dowdle had not fallen ill before kickoff. He has only missed three games due to injury (in 2022, he missed two games due to a knee injury; in 2020, he missed one game due to a calf strain). In 2017, he was suspended for six games.

Dowdle, who has 246 rushing yards, is healthy this week and the Cowboys signed Dalvin Cook from the practice squad for the second straight day on Saturday.

With the New England Patriots in 2023, Elliott posted career lows in carries (184) and yards (642), but he caught 51 passes for 313 yards and scored five touchdowns.

This season, Elliott started the opener against the Cleveland Browns and led the Cowboys with 40 yards on 10 carries and a touchdown. He started last week against the Niners and had 10 carries for 34 yards, including a season-high 11 yards in the first half. In the other five games, he had no more than eight carries or 19 yards in a game.

The Cowboys entered the season with a running back by committee, but the production wasn't there. They entered Sunday's game averaging 74.1 yards per contest, which is last in the NFL. They are also in the midst of a streak of 21 straight games without a 100-yard rusher, the longest streak in team history.

Cook posted four 1,000-yard seasons with the Minnesota Vikings (2019-22), earning a Pro Bowl berth each time. He signed late last year with the New York Jets and had just 214 yards on 67 carries in 15 games. He played one game for the Baltimore Ravens in the playoffs and had eight carries for 23 yards. He had six carries for 12 yards against the Niners.