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Following a promising season, the Dallas Cowboys took a significant step back in 2017, missing the playoffs entirely. Many of their struggles can be attributed to the absence of star running back Ezekiel Elliott, who missed a sizeable chunk of the season due to a six-game suspension for violating the personal conduct policy.
His ongoing battle to get the ban dismissed became a story for almost the entire campaign, sidetracking their focus until the appeal was finally turned down. When Elliott returned for the final two games, the Cowboys still had a shot at a playoff berth, but a ugly loss to the Seattle Seahawks in Week 16 ended those dreams.
With that in mind, executive vice president Stephen Jones believes that Elliott must work hard to stay away from distractions that could lie ahead, according to Drew Davison of The Star-Telegram.
“I know Zeke wants to be great — I’m convinced of that, that he wants to be great,” Stephen Jones said this week from Senior Bowl practices. “He’s also got to understand that, to be great, you can’t have these things that we call distractions and things of that nature. Things that take away, not only from him, but from our team.”
Elliott clearly possesses the talent to be one of the league's top running backs for the next several years, but his constant involvement in questionable conduct could be a detriment to his career. His primary focus must shift to what's best for the team, as he plays a huge role in determining the amount of success they will have moving ahead as their most talented offensive player.
If he's able to stay away from off-the-field issues, Elliott should put together a highly productive career that could place him among the best the game has seen at his position. It's all on his shoulders now.
