Ezekiel Elliott has his third 1,000-yard season in four seasons. The only season he didn’t reach the milestone was 2017 when he ran for 983 yards in 10 games, missing six games while serving a suspension.
He has 264 carries for 1,071 yards this season, putting him on pace for the second-fewest yards in his career.
The Cowboys star running back calls 1,000 yards “the expectation.” He is unlikely to win a third rushing title this season, ranking fifth in the league and trailing league-leader Nick Chubb by 210 yards.
Elliott, the league’s highest-paid running back, insists he doesn’t care about statistics or rushing titles.
“Win ball games. I’m trying to win a Super Bowl,” Elliott said Wednesday, via Jon Machota of TheAthletic.com. “I really don’t care about that number. Who cares if you rush for 2,000, and you don’t even make the playoffs?”
Of course, a Super Bowl title is even less likely for the Cowboys this season than another rushing title for Elliott, but that’s another story.
Elliott averaged 25 touches his first three seasons. He is averaging 22 touches this season.
“Whatever is in the game plan, whatever the team needs me to do to win, I’m going to go out there and do,” Elliott said, via Todd Archer of ESPN. “They know I’m always ready to get as many touches as they need me to get.”