Hours after Jerry Jones appeared on DFW radio station 105.3 The Fan and refused to rule out the potential return of Ezekiel Elliott to the Dallas Cowboys, head coach Mike McCarthy offered reporters at his Tuesday afternoon media obligation in Oxnard a very different point of view on the situation.

The Athletic's Jon Machota reported in a tweet from Cowboys training camp that McCarthy prioritized the younger running backs currently on the team when asked about the possibility of bringing Elliott back for another stint with the team.

“Well, because of the reps,” McCarthy said when asked what the downside could be to bringing Elliott back. “We’re just not going to hit a bump and then give up on the path. We want to see these young guys. I want to see them play in games.”

“The path” McCarthy spoke of was the development of young running backs like Malik Davis and Deuce Vaughn. Elliott might be a strong short-term addition in a supporting role, but the cost of bringing him back would be the progression of the younger running backs. Davis flashed NFL attributes in short sample sizes during his rookie year, and Vaughn is a player the Cowboys could fit into the offense in a number of ways. Bringing Elliott in to play a backup role would take opportunities away from Dallas' young running backs.

With Tony Pollard only under contract for the next year, the Cowboys need to start thinking about their long-term plans at running back. It appears that, as far as McCarthy is concerned, Elliott doesn't fit into those plans.