We’re getting to the point in the NFL season when rookies are playing games beyond what they would play during a college season, which can lead to concerns about diminished returns as players hit the so-called rookie wall.
One player who could be the subject of such concern is Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott. He’s run the ball more than anyone else in the league and is on pace for 353 carries, which would be the second-most for any running back in a season since the start of the 2010 campaign.
Elliott said earlier this month that he isn’t worried about the cumulative effect of his workload and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones has the same opinion.
“Not at all. The more we can give Ezekiel the ball the better,” Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, via Jon Machota of the Dallas Morning News.
That’s not a particularly surprising statement from Jones as DeMarco Murray posted the most carries since the start of 2010 when he ran 392 times during the 2014 season and Elliott’s play has been essential to Dallas’ success this season. The Cowboys let Murray walk away as a free agent that offseason, something that obviously won’t happen with Elliott, and they have Alfred Morris on hand to take work in the backfield, although neither of those things appears to be impacting their plans in the backfield.