Ezekiel Elliott could win his second rushing title in three years. He is on pace to become only the fourth running back in NFL history to lead the NFL in rushing yards per game in three consecutive seasons. He has made his second Pro Bowl.
None of that is good enough for the Cowboys star running back.
“It’s nice,” Elliott said. “It’s nice to get in the Pro Bowl, but we’re chasing goals a lot loftier than the Pro Bowl. It’s definitely an honor for my peers and the coaches and the fans to honor me as one of the best backs in the league and to represent the NFC. But we’re definitely chasing a Super Bowl not a Pro Bowl.”
Elliott, who won the rushing title as a rookie with 1,631 yards, leads the league with 1,349 yards, which is 98 ahead of Rams running back Todd Gurley.
If all goes as forecast, the Cowboys will have nothing to play for in Week 17. That would mean Elliott likely would play little or not at all. The Cowboys rested him in Week 17 in 2016.
It appears likely Elliott will finish as the league leader in yards per game. He currently averages 96.4 yards per game, with Gurley second at 89.4 and Joe Mixon third at 82.5. Since 1932, only Eric Dickerson, Earl Campbell and Jim Brown led the league in rushing yards per game for three seasons in a row.
After serving a six-game suspension last season, Elliott began this season talking about re-establishing himself as one of the best backs in the league. He has done that, whether he makes the All-Pro team or not.
“I think I’ve done a great job just making my case for that,” Elliott said, “but we’ve got hopefully a lot of ball left and a lot bigger goals than that, and it’s exciting to go on that journey with this team.”
Elliott has played in 40 NFL games, including the postseason, rushing for 4,088 yards and 28 touchdowns on 872 carries.