“Smack a 60-year-old man in the a**!” Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy awkwardly explains Ezekiel Elliott’s first week in Dallas

After one year away from Arlington, running back Ezekiel Elliott returned to practice with the Cowboys following a one-year deal.

“Smack a 60-year-old man in the a**!” Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy awkwardly explains Ezekiel Elliott’s first week in Dallas

Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy and running back Ezekiel Elliott (Image via IMAGO)

Mike McCarthy understands the importance of a Pro-Bowl caliber running back. The return of Ezekiel Elliott to the Dallas Cowboys setup brought back the confidence that McCarthy was lacking about the run game this past year.

After starting with the Cowboys for seven years, Elliott joined the New England Patriots last season for a change of scenery. However, after just one year in Boston, the OSU graduate decided to head back to Dallas and partner quarterback Dak Prescott.

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On Saturday, after the Cowboys’ rookie minicamp, McCarthy addressed the media about Elliott’s impact on the team. Being a veteran of the NFL, reporters perhaps pre-determined that the Cowboys’ head coach would speak about the 28-year-old’s numbers on the field. Instead, he opted to highlight the running back’s ‘old school’ soul.

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McCarthy opened his speech by claiming that Ezekiel Elliott never left Arlington.

He definitely puts you on guard because he's old school. He'll go up and smack a 60-year-old man in the as*, and it hurts… enjoy his personality and having him back in the building.
Mike McCarthy said

That was certainly a casual way to describe a player’s skill set, but perhaps he was only praising the leadership qualities Elliott brings to the locker room. The Cowboys would require his leadership after the departure of All-Pro tackle Tyron Smith.

Mike McCarthy revealed Ezekiel Elliot will be part of the Cowboys running back committee

Elliott may be a three-time Pro Bowler with more than 8900 rushing yards, but McCarthy claimed that he will still be part of a committee of running backs in the 2024 season.

"Smack a 60-year-old man in the a**!" Cowboys HC Mike McCarthy awkwardly explains Ezekiel Elliott's first week in Dallas
Ezekiel Elliott (Image via IMAGO)
We're running back by committee. But I think he'll definitely play at the level that he's played… I don't see any drop-off in the way he moves. He's in good shape.
McCarthy said per NFL.com

This strategy doesn’t come as a surprise from the Cowboys front office. They spent an ample amount of time during the free agency fiddling through RB options.

Even after offloading Tony Pollard to Tennessee, Dallas still has young rushers like Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, veteran Royce Freeman, and Snoop Conner. Elliott will be the preferred back for McCarthy, but they could easily mix things up with so many players waiting for a turn.

While playing for the Patriots, Elliott recorded 643 yards and 3 touchdowns on 184 carries. Before that, he played three seasons under McCarthy, and in each campaign, he logged at least 870 yards, with the best of 1002 yards in 2021.

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