ARLINGTON, Texas – Ezekiel Elliott said he played with a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in his right knee this season, including in Sunday’s 23-17 playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.
“I won’t need a procedure (in the offseason),” Elliott told reporters after the game. “It wasn’t an injury that was going to get worse, but it was going to take time (to get better).”
The injury occurred in Week 4 at Carolina, and Elliott appeared on the Cowboys’ injury report for the rest of the season. The Cowboys ran their snaps during practice weeks and certain games in a rotation with Tony Pollard, but he was still able to play all 18 games, including the postseason, and reached the 1,000-yard mark (1,002 with 10 touchdowns) for the fourth time. in its first six seasons.
Through rest and work with the athletic training staff, the injury gradually improved in December and January. Elliott wore a brace on his right knee for the past five games, starting in Washington in Week 14, and liked the stability it provided. He had 12 carries for 31 yards in Sunday’s loss.
“I was just doing my job,” Elliott said. “I was going out and doing what I had to do for my team. I feel like everyone else in that locker room would have done the same thing.”
