Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is a late scratch for his team's Week 15 matchup with the San Francisco 49ers.

Elliott, who is dealing with a calf injury, was expected to give it a go, as NFL Network's Ian Rapoport reported earlier on Sunday. But, in a late morning plot twist, he was ruled out for the game. The news reportedly came as a “big surprise” to head coach Mike McCarthy, per Rapoport.

As Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News noted, the Cowboys elevated a running back from their practice squad on Saturday, implying that the team knew Elliott missing the game could be a possibility. In his absence, Tony Pollard and Rico Dowdle will see the bulk of the carries, while rookie fullback Sewo Olonilua is active for the first time in his career.

Elliott has been dealing with the calf issue since Week 13. He was held out of practice on Wednesday, but he had reportedly been doing all he could the past few days to get on the field for Sunday.

“I think it might be something I might have to manage for the rest of the season,” Elliott said earlier this week about the ailment. “Every day is a little bit different, it’s just a little bit stiff and sore. Every day you just have to work through it, work through the stiffness, get all that inflammation out. Who knows how long I’ll be dealing with it, it just kind of sucks during the week trying to get it warm and ready for practice.”

It's been a tough 2020 campaign for Elliott and the Cowboys. In the first season of a six-year, $90 million extension, the 25-year old is setting career-lows across the board.

He's surpassed 100 yards in just one game (103 yards in Week 11), and has averaged 3.9 yards per carry and 64.0 yards per game, the worst marks of his career.