Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott leaves game with apparent leg injury

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott suffered an apparent leg injury during Sunday’s game against the Detroit Lions. His return is questionable for the time being, as Elliott left the game and was evaluated on the sideline following a hit.

UPDATE: While the injury looked alarming, it appears Elliott will be fine. As the second half opened, Elliott was on the field with the Dallas offense, including one play where he hurdled a defender.

Elliott took a handoff and got the first down his team needed but was tackled by safety DeShon Elliott. In the tackle, Deshon hit Ezekiel with his helmet on the right knee, which resulted in the Cowboys star laying on the field and then exiting the game. At the time of his injury, Ezekiel had 28 yards on seven carries. He was the leading rusher for the Cowboys.

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The fourth overall pick out of Ohio State in the 2016 NFL Draft, Elliott has had a resurgence in the 2022 season. After rushing for over 1,300 yards in three of his first four years, Elliott took a step back. He had just 979 yards in 2020 and 1,002 in 2021. But the 2022 season has seen Elliott improve as a runner.

Elliott entered this week as Dallas’ leading rusher on the season, going for 386 yards and two touchdowns in six games. Elliott was fresh off his best rushing performance of the season, when he went for 81 yards and a touchdown on 13 carries.

“I knew I was tough, and that I could play through injuries. It was definitely tough, but it’s my job,” Elliott said of his improvement, according to the team website. “You’ve got to alter and evolve as a pro. My training now focuses on what I need to get better at, what my deficiencies are, where I need to get stronger.”

Cowboys remain in the hunt

In Week 1 of the season, Dallas lost quarterback Dak Prescott to a broken bone in his hand. The Cowboys appeared to be in a bad spot for the rest of the season but Cooper Rush then stepped up. The backup quarterback led Dallas to four straight wins before falling last week against the Philadelphia Eagles.

Dallas entered this week at 4-2 overall. That record has it in third place in the NFC East behind the undefeated Philadelphia Eagles and the 5-1 New York Giants.