Ezekiel Elliott injury update: Is Cowboys RB fit to play in Week 5?

Ezekiel Elliott's initial indications regarding him not practicing during the Dallas Cowboys' media-open portion on Wednesday were due to a veteran's rest day.

But when the official NFL practice/injury report came out, the star running back appeared on the list as a "did-not-practice" due to a knee problem.

So, where is the truth? What is truly going on with the RB?

It seems the truth resides somewhere in the middle.

Speaking to the media later on Wednesday, Elliott stated:

"To be honest with you, I feel three times better than I did Monday."

Elliott could probably label his Wednesday DNP a "load-management day."

"Just dealing with a little knee injury. It was a little stiff, [but] a lot of the stiffness is gone. So just kind of taking the load off of it, giving it time to heal, getting it right for this weekend."

After Zeke carried the ball 20 times for a gain of 143 and a rushing touchdown in the 36-28 win against the Carolina Panthers — a performance that made the league award the RB with the NFL "FedEx Ground Player of the Week." It is natural for the veteran to feel a slight stiffness in his knee that needs a little rest.

Will the stiffness prevent Elliott from playing against the Giants?

The minor stiffness does not look severe enough to prevent the two-time NFL rushing yards leader (2016 and 2018) from helping the 3-1 Cowboys in Sunday's Week 5 visit from their 1-3 divisional rival, the New York Giants.

Elliott hinted that he plans to return to practice Thursday in preparation to play against the Giants.

He also reminded the press of his season-long "brotherhood" theme, how it's not "about Zeke" but rather about the team.

"[The offensive line] is the reason we were so successful on the ground. I don't like making it about, 'Oh, I did this to make a statement because you guys [the media] thought I was shi**y.' That's not why I come out here and play. I come out here to play to help my team win. I come out and play to support my brothers."

Elliot's stats for the 2021 NFL season so far

Elliott started all four Cowboys games this season. He rushed 64 times (average of 16 carries per game) for 344 yards (average of 86 yards per game) and four touchdowns.

Elliott's workload is going up every week. In Week 1, he ran 11 times (33 yards) against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. In Week 2, he ran 16 times (71 yards and one TD) against the Los Angeles Chargers. In Week 3, he ran 17 times (95 yards and two TDs) against the Los Angeles Chargers. Against the Panthers, he ran 20 times for 143 yards and a touchdown.

Elliott is trending up, which can only mean good things for the Dallas Cowboys.