Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott will reportedly miss at least one game because of a sprained knee injury.

Per Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, Elliott isn't expected to play Sunday against the Chicago Bears to give his knee time to heal.

Head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Wednesday that Elliott would do side work this week while the team practices to rehab his knee.

While the Cowboys have a bye in Week 9, McCarthy said that wouldn't factor into whether Elliott plays against the Bears.

"That's just not the way we approach it, so we'll just see how he responds today," he said. "[Director of rehabilitation Britt Brown] will continue to build the plan based off what they accomplish today."

Elliott didn't practice Wednesday or Thursday. He suffered the injury in the second quarter of the Cowboys' Week 7 win over the Detroit Lions.

The three-time Pro Bowler returned to that game and finished with 57 rushing yards and two touchdowns on 15 carries, though he only played 31 offensive snaps. His 443 rushing yards this season rank 13th in the NFL.

The Cowboys will turn to Tony Pollard as their primary running back until Elliott returns. The fourth-year veteran has been more efficient than Elliott. His 480 yards from scrimmage rank second on the team behind CeeDee Lamb (490).

Pollard is averaging 5.6 yards per carry, ninth-best among running backs with at least 50 rushing attempts this season.

Following their bye in Week 9, the Cowboys have a stretch of three games in 12 days against the Green Bay Packers (Nov. 13), Minnesota Vikings (Nov. 20) and New York Giants (Nov. 24).

LeBron James is taking his NFL rooting talents to the Cleveland Browns.

James mentioned during an Instagram Live conversation with Maverick Carter that he has switched allegiances from the Dallas Cowboys to the Browns because of the Cowboys' policy in 2018 that players stand during the playing of the national anthem.

"Nah man, I had to sit out on the Cowboys, man. It's just a lot of things that was going on during the, you know, when guys were kneeling," James said during the live stream. "Guys were having freedom of speech and wanted to do it in a very peaceful manner. A lot of people in their front office and a lot of people that ran the organization was like, 'If you do that around here, you will never play for this franchise again.' I just didn't think that was appropriate."

James added that he still likes a lot of the players on the team, including wideout CeeDee Lamb, running back Ezekiel Elliott, linebacker Micah Parsons and cornerback Trevon Diggs, but he's now "all-in on the Browns."

In 2018, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones—in response to players kneeling during the national anthem in protest against racial discrimination and police brutality after former NFL quarterback Colin Kaepernick first began the practice in 2016—told reporters that the team's policy was "that you stand at the anthem, toe on the line."

"But in general, I will speak for one, and everybody knows where we stand, and we stand as a team," he added.

It is unclear if the Cowboys still have that policy, but defensive lineman Dontari Poe knelt during the anthem for the 2020 season after speaking about it with Jones.

James, 37, is from Akron, spent two stints with the Cleveland Cavaliers during his NBA career and is an avid Ohio State fan, so the Browns were the natural option for his NFL fandom after moving away from the Cowboys.

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott's status for Sunday's game against the Chicago Bears is in doubt because of a knee injury, according to NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on Wednesday.

Elliott told reporters Wednesday he was unsure if he would suit up Sunday, saying his knee feels "stiff." Earlier Wednesday, head coach Mike McCarthy told reporters Elliott wouldn't practice Wednesday because of a sprained knee.

Elliott was limited to 31 offensive snaps in the Cowboys' 24-6 victory over the Detroit Lions in Week 7. He told reporters after the game he suffered a potential contusion on his knee late in the first half.

This is another setback for the 27-year-old, who played through a partially torn PCL during the 2021 campaign.

While Elliott appeared in all 17 games last year, fighting through the injury seemed to slow him for stretches. He averaged just 4.2 yards per carry on his way to 1,002 rushing yards and didn't have the same burst as when he led the NFL with 1,434 rushing yards in 2018 and 1,631 rushing yards in 2016.

The Ohio State product averaged 4.7 yards per carry and 5.1 yards per carry, respectively, during those two seasons.

Elliott's resume includes three Pro Bowl nods, an All-Pro selection and four seasons with more than 1,000 rushing yards. He has also proved to be durable and played 15 or more games in five of his first six seasons.

He has 475 yards from scrimmage and four total touchdowns on 115 touches through seven games in 2022.

If Elliott is unable to play or is limited this week, Tony Pollard will see an increased workload. The 25-year-old has been a more efficient runner than Elliott, with 5.6 yards per attempt on 67 carries.

The Las Vegas Raiders reportedly traded defensive tackle Johnathan Hankins to the Dallas Cowboys for draft pick compensation.

Tom Pelissero of NFL Network reported the Cowboys sent a 2023 sixth-round pick to Las Vegas in exchange for Hankins and a 2024 seventh-round selection.

Hankins had been with the Raiders since 2018. He recorded 10 tackles while appearing in five games this season, though he only received one start. Andrew Billings and Bilal Nichols beat out Hankins for the two starting defensive tackle spots after they signed with the new Las Vegas regime this offseason.

Hankins remained part of the defensive line rotation but saw his snap count dwindle to just 12 plays in Week 6's win over the Houston Texans.

The Cowboys' defensive scheme should be a little better fit for Hankins, who can fill gaps in the middle and help improve a shaky run defense. Dallas is allowing 120.1 rushing yards per game, which ranks 20th in the NFL.

Compare that to a stellar pass defense that ranks fourth in yards per game (185.1) and seventh in opposing passer rating (77.7), and it was clear why a player like Hankins became a priority.

A 2013 second-round pick out of Ohio State, Hankins previously played for the New York Giants and Indianapolis Colts in addition to Las Vegas.

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said quarterback Dak Prescott dealt with "no adverse aspects" in his return from thumb surgery for Sunday's Week 7 win over the Detroit Lions.

Prescott posted modest numbers—207 passing yards and one touchdown—in the 24-6 victory, but Jones expects the franchise QB, who'd been sidelined since suffering the injury in the season opener, will steadily improve in the weeks ahead.

"I think you're going to see that more and more not be a factor [as long as] there's not a re-injury some place," Jones said Tuesday on 105.3 The Fan.

The idea that Dallas was heading toward a quarterback controversy after backup Cooper Rush led the team to four straight wins was always weak on substance. Rush is a solid No. 2 signal-caller, but Prescott is one of the NFL's best quarterbacks when healthy.

He's coming off a 2021 campaign in which he completed 68.8 percent of his throws for 4,449 yards with 37 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. Players with that type of upside don't get benched for someone with eight touchdowns in 16 career games (six starts).

Prescott wasn't leaned on heavily in his return, as the Cowboys racked up more rushing attempts (32) than passes (25). That pendulum should swing back toward the aerial attack once the 29-year-old Mississippi State product is back in the flow.

"It was important for me to see that and to recognize that and know coming back, don't try to do too much," Prescott told reporters Sunday. "I'm just trying to play my role and make sure that I put this team in the best chance to win."

While Dallas is off to a strong start at 5-2, that's only good for third in the NFC East, as the division has exceeded preseason expectations. The Philadelphia Eagles (6-0) are the league's last undefeated team, and the New York Giants (6-1) are in second place. The Washington Commanders (3-4) also remain in the playoff mix as midseason approaches.

The Cowboys host the Chicago Bears on Sunday before heading into their bye week. That game appears a little tougher following the Bears' strong showing against the New England Patriots on Monday night, but it's still one Dallas should win.

As a whole, the team's remaining schedule ranks 28th in the NFL, per ESPN's Football Power Index. It should put Dallas on the path toward 11 or 12 wins and a playoff berth.

The Cowboys' true upside is heavily linked to whether Prescott can rediscover top form over the next couple months. The team currently ranks 27th in passing yards per game (183.3), which wouldn't be enough to keep pace with the league's top offenses.

If Prescott does eventually return to his usual level of play, Dallas should have all the components to make some noise in the postseason.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott missed five games with a thumb injury that required surgery, and he apparently used that time away to relearn how to use his hand.

"The hand's great," Prescott told Albert Breer of Sports Illustrated after leading the Cowboys to a 24-6 victory over the Detroit Lions on Sunday. "Honestly, I feel like I've relearned how to use it, activate it, all this past week-and-a-half. As far as doing my job, there's no limitations; there's no doubt in my mind that I wasn't going to be able to do what I just did. That's what's also in just trusting my rehab process, trusting everything that I've been through.

"In the real-life aspect of it, yeah, there's probably another little step, step-and-a-half that I can get before I'm over 100 percent or at 100 percent. But I can do my job, I can do my job comfortably, I can do my job with a lot of confidence and that's all that really matters to me."

He did his job against the Lions by going 19-of-25 for 207 yards, one touchdown and zero interceptions, which was a much better showing than the Week 1 game against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers when he finished 14-of-29 for 134 yards, zero touchdowns and one interception and suffered the injury.

Fortunately for the Cowboys, Cooper Rush kept them afloat by going 4-1 as a starter when Prescott was sidelined.

Now the two-time Pro Bowler is back for a team with legitimate Super Bowl aspirations. He will also have additional time to get healthier with the scheduled bye week after a Week 8 matchup with the Chicago Bears.

That should help with that additional "little step, step-and-a-half" to be fully healthy for the stretch run.

The Dallas Cowboys announced Monday cornerback Jourdan Lewis will miss the remainder of the 2022 NFL season after suffering a Lisfranc injury in Sunday's 24-6 victory over the Detroit Lions.

Lewis was injured after intercepting a Jared Goff pass in the fourth quarter.

With his year now over, Lewis finishes 2022 with 26 tackles, one interception and one sack.

Dallas can still count on Trevon Diggs to anchor the secondary. The 2021 All-Pro already has three interceptions and an NFL-high 11 passes defended through seven games.

Diggs can't cover everybody, though, so Lewis' absence is bound to have an impact on a defense that's allowing the fourth-fewest passing yards (185.1) and ranks sixth in opponent passer rating (77.7).

It doesn't help that Lewis' likely replacement as the nickelback is DaRon Bland, a fifth-round draft pick who has logged a total of 66 snaps on defense. The bulk of that action came in a Week 4 win over the Washington Commanders, when Lewis was out with a groin issue.

For Lewis, the Lisfranc injury could add some uncertainty to his offseason in the spring.

The Cowboys are projected to have just $7.3 million in salary-cap space for 2023, per Spotrac, and they have a few notable players heading for free agency including Tony Pollard, Anthony Brown, Leighton Vander Esch and Dalton Schultz.

By cutting Lewis, Dallas would carry $1.2 million in dead money but save $5 million since he'll be in the final year of his contract. If the front office has any misgivings about the 27-year-old long-term, then he might become expendable when the season ends.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott will return to the field on Sunday against the Detroit Lions after recovering from a fractured thumb he suffered in the team's season opener against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. He will be heavily compared to backup Cooper Rush, who went 4-1 in his absence.

While Rush was impressive, Prescott adds another element to the Dallas offense that his backup can't, and former Cowboys wide receiver Michael Irvin thinks Mike McCarthy would be making a mistake if he used Prescott the same way he used Rush.

"There's a reason we're paying him $40 million a year and a reason we're paying Cooper Rush whatever we're paying Cooper Rush," Irvin said, per USA Today's Nate Davis.

He added: "Not to use that other $38 million, or whatever the difference is, is absolutely asinine. Stop asking my $40 million quarterback to do the same things as my [$1] million quarterback.

"I'm gonna ask him to do some more, that's why I'm paying him."

Prescott is a much more efficient passer and rusher than Rush, so Irvin does have a point.

In his five games as a starter, Rush completed 58 percent of his passes for 956 yards and five touchdowns against three interceptions. He threw for more than 200 yards in three of those games.

However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones appeared to hint at a quarterback controversy brewing before walking back those comments and reiterating that Prescott is the starter. McCarthy made similar comments, saying that everyone knows Prescott is QB1.

"Clearly, everybody in our locker room and everybody in the building, Jerry included, Dak is our quarterback," McCarthy told reporters back in September. "We want Cooper to be successful as possible. So, I think it stops right there."

When healthy, Prescott is one of the best quarterbacks in the NFL. The problem is that he's only been fully healthy once in the last three seasons. During the 2020 season, he played five games before missing the remainder of the year with an ankle injury.

This year, he has been hampered by a broken thumb in his throwing hand.

In 2021, he appeared in 16 games, leading the Cowboys to an 11-5 record while completing 68.8 percent of his passes for 4,449 yards and 37 touchdowns against 10 interceptions. He also rushed for 146 yards and one score.

If Prescott can stay healthy, the Cowboys figure to be one of the best teams in the NFC and should earn a postseason berth. However, there's still a lot of season left, and Dallas has some tough matchups ahead, including a rematch against the Philadelphia Eagles on Dec. 24.