Ezekiel Elliott will be a healthy scratch for the Dallas Cowboys when they take on the Atlanta Falcons on Sunday.

The Cowboys running back didn’t make the trip with the team to Atlanta due to disciplinary reasons, according to multiple reports. Veteran running back Dalvin Cook was elevated from the Cowboys’ practice squad ahead of Sunday’s game. 

While it’s unclear what caused the Cowboys to punish Elliott, he hasn’t had a strong season after returning to Dallas in free agency this past offseason. Elliott has rushed for just 149 yards on 3.1 yards per carry and two touchdowns through the first seven games. He had 10 carries in the Cowboys’ loss to the San Francisco 49ers last week, matching a season high. 

Elliott, 29, re-joined the Cowboys after spending a season with the New England Patriots in 2023. He recorded a career-low 642 rushing yards last season, but he had 51 receptions for 313 yards and scored five total touchdowns in New England after Dallas released him in the 2023 offseason. 

The Cowboys opted to bring Elliott back on a one-year deal with $2.15 million guaranteed as they lost starting running back Tony Pollard in free agency. Rico Dowdle leads the team in carries (59) and rushing yards (246) despite playing one fewer game than Elliott.

Prior to his 2023 release, Elliott was one of the most popular Cowboys players since their championship-winning seasons in the 1990s. He made three Pro Bowls over his seven-year stint with the team after they selected him with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.

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Now, Elliott will be replaced by one of the top running backs from the late 2010s and early 2020s, at least for Sunday’s game. Cook rushed for at least 1,000 yards in four of his six seasons with the Minnesota Vikings before being released in 2023. He struggled to make an impact with the New York Jets last season and then joined the Baltimore Ravens for their playoff run. Cook was signed to Dallas’ practice squad before the start of the season and made his debut last week, recording six carries for 12 yards in the loss to San Francisco. 

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