With the Dallas Cowboys nearing a must-win game against the Philadelphia Eagles to keep their postseason hopes alive in the disappointing NFC East, Ezekiel Elliott believes he'll be ready to return after missing one week.
After sitting out the Week 15 win over the San Francisco 49ers, Elliott said he's "on track" to play this Sunday, via the team's official website.
"I felt better today than I have in the past three weeks," he said on Wednesday.
Coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Zeke "is in a limited practice mode" Thursday.
Elliott missed the first game of his career due to injury last week. While he believes the extra rest will help him be prepared for Week 16's bout against division rival Philadelphia, he'll continue his routine of warming up before determining if he can play.
"I'm feeling way better than I did last week. Obviously with the rest this weekend it's going to be feeling better," he said. "I actually got out here at practice, ran around some in team drills. It's definitely making the right steps to be ready for Sunday ... Definitely feels better with the rest and looking good for this weekend."
The Cowboys rode Tony Pollard last week to impressive effect. Pollard's explosive play this season has led many to wonder whether the younger back should get some of Zeke's touches. While noting he sees Pollard as a "great back," Elliott doesn't fret about the chatter.
"At the end of the day, those aren't the people signing my checks," Elliott said, per ESPN. "Those aren't the cats that are making the final decisions, so I mean I think there's a reason they're not the ones making those decisions. I don't think it really matters. It doesn't hold much with me what people outside this building are saying. All that matters to us is the people in this building."
