Dallas Cowboys' head coach Mike McCarthy hinted that there was a chance for Ezekiel Elliott to suit up in Week 8. However, Jerry Jones recently confirmed that Elliott will not play against the Chicago Bears, per Clarence Hill Jr.

“It had everything to do with how we’re doing this this weekend with this bye coming up,” Jones explained in reference to Ezekiel Elliott missing Week 8. “I’m not so sure we would’ve done it this way had we not had the bye.”

The decision to sit Elliott makes sense for Dallas. The Cowboys enter this matchup against the Bears listed as lofty home favorites. The Bears feature some upset potential, but this is a game Dallas expects to win with or without Ezekiel Elliott. Elliott will now receive two weeks of recovery time given the Cowboys' upcoming bye week.

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Fantasy football managers will be quick to implement Tony Pollard into their lineups this week. The Cowboys will likely lean heavily on Pollard against Chicago. If the Cowboys take care of business and hold a large lead late in the game, Pollard will receive no shortage of carries as Dallas attempts to run out the clock.

The Cowboys are hoping that Ezekiel Elliott can come back ready to roll in a couple of weeks. He will be crucial to their chances of making a deep playoff run, so they would prefer he gets extra rest for the time being. With Dak Prescott also back in the mix, the Cowboys will look to get the job done against the Bears on Sunday.