‘Distracted’ Ex-Patriot Receives Team Punishment After ‘Final Straw’

The Cowboys’ ugly 2024 season seems to worsen by the week.

The latest dose of dysfunction in Dallas arrived when Mike McCarthy and company logged their inactives for Week 9. Ezekiel Elliott, who played in all of the Cowboys’ first seven games of the campaign, will not suit up for his team’s tilt with the Falcons on Sunday. In fact, the veteran running back didn’t even make the trip to Atlanta.

A few hours before kickoff at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, NFL Network’s Jane Slater shed light on why America’s Team punished Elliott.

“Ezekiel Elliott is a healthy scratch today. The first of his career,” Slater posted to X. “According to a number of sources, Elliott has been distracted this season. Aside from habitual tardiness, he’s missed three team meetings with Friday’s meeting the final straw. Both parties decided it was best he didn’t make the trip to Atlanta. Dalvin Cook and Rico Dowdle will be expected to carry the load this afternoon.”

Elliott, who played his first seven NFL seasons with the Cowboys, returned to Dallas over the offseason after a season in New England. The three-time Pro Bowl selection was a consummate professional with the Patriots, appearing in all 17 games and saying all the right things despite all of the chaos in New England last year.

The 29-year-old is on a one-year deal with the Cowboys, who entered the weekend with a 3-4 record.