It’s no secret that the Dallas Cowboys’ 2024 campaign has been disappointing. Pegged as potential Super Bowl challengers before the season began, the Cowboys are heading into Week 11 with an abysmal 3-6 record — good for third in the NFC East — following Sunday’s 34-6 loss to the rival Philadelphia Eagles.

The Cowboys’ lackluster performance can be credited to various factors, including an underperforming backfield. After last year’s No. 1 running back, Tony Pollard, left in free agency, owner and general manager Jerry Jones chose to replace him by reuniting with a declining Ezekiel Elliott in the offseason rather than targeting free agents like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley.

Elliott has looked like a shell of his former self this season. That hasn’t stopped the Cowboys from giving the 29-year-old back opportunities each week.

On Tuesday, Jones appeared on 105.3 The Fan to discuss Elliott’s return to Dallas thus far. According to Cowboys insider Jon Machota, the 82-year-old billionaire claims that the veteran runner is still bringing “positive things” to the table.

“We’re not living in the past with Zeke,” Jones told listeners.

After a brief stint with the New England Patriots last season, the Cowboys hoped that a reunion with Elliott could give the backfield a boost. The former Ohio State RB was more than familiar with the franchise, having racked up over 8,200 rushing yards and 68 TDs across seven seasons after Dallas selected him fourth overall in 2016.

Nostalgia can be powerful, but it hasn’t been enough to hide Elliott’s pedestrian performance this season.

In eight games, the three-time Pro Bowler has only 171 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns on 54 carries. His 21.4 rushing yards per game and 3.2 yards per carry are both the worst of his career, while his 60.6 offense grade ranks 53rd out of 63 eligible running backs on Pro Football Focus.

There’s no taking away what Elliott has accomplished with the Cowboys. Having said that, it’s become increasingly clear that he’s no longer an RB1 in the NFL. That’s why Dallas fans have been clamoring for head coach Mike McCarthy to continue giving more opportunities to Rico Dowdle as the lead back.

Although he hasn’t been perfect, Dowdle has easily outperformed Elliott this season. The ex-South Carolina product has tallied career highs in rushing yards (374) and receiving yards (166), putting him on pace for over 1,000 scrimmage yards for the first time in his career.

It looked like the Cowboys were ready to move on from Elliott when he was a healthy scratch in Week 9, but that wasn’t the case. He returned to the lineup to play 13 offensive snaps in Week 10, resulting in six carries for 22 yards and a lost fumble.

With Elliott and Dowdle both becoming free agents in March, expect the Cowboys to turn to the 2025 NFL draft and free agency to address their RB woes this offseason.