5 NFL starters who need to be benched feat. Ezekiel Elliott

5 NFL starters who need to be benched

#3 - David Montgomery

Coming into the 2022 NFL season, David Montgomery was the clear lead back for the Chicago Bears.

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However, after he went down with an injury, Khalil Herbert stepped up in Montgomery’s absence.

Herbert averaged 6.0 yards per carry before he himself went down injured.

This is way better than Montgomery’s 4.0 YPC, and many Bears fans are fed up with his mediocre play and want to see Herbert as the starter going forward.

#2 - Marcus Mariota

Many NFL fans were surprised when the Atlanta Falcons decided to roll with veteran Marcus Mariota at quarterback, instead of giving rookie Desmond Ridder a chance to start in the NFL.

While Mariota is arguably playing better than many expected, he has only passed for seven touchdowns in his last five games.

The Falcons have a chance at winning a terrible NFC South as they’re currently one game behind the Buccaneers, who are at 5-6.

Perhaps head coach Arthur Smith wants to keep an experienced veteran like Mariota in for the run-in, but it couldn’t hurt to see what Ridder can do, could it?

#1 - Ezekiel Elliott

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott took the league by storm when he was drafted back in 2016, making the Pro Bowl alongside fellow rookie Dak Prescott.

However, since then, Elliott’s play has gotten slightly worse over the years, and with the emergence of Tony Pollard, it’s time to bench Zeke.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made Elliott the highest-paid running back in the league when he handed him a six-year $90m contract back in 2019. He should be ruing this decision now though, as he’s been bettered by Pollard in almost all categories in 2022.

Despite having fewer carries, Pollard has more yards and more yards per carry than Elliott, and only one less touchdown than Zeke, who’s been used as the goal line back.

It’s time for Jerry Jones to swallow his pride and admit Pollard needs to be the starter going forward.

About the author

Matthew David Wear is an NFL writer for Sportskeeda based in Manchester with a Bachelor’s degree in Sports Journalism from the University of Sunderland. He has a total work experience of 10 years, having previously worked for the likes of FourFourTwo, World Soccer, Soccer AM, Sunderland Echo and ALS Fanzine.

Matthew follows the Cincinnati Bengals since he feels that they have been underdogs without achieving much success just like his native Sunderland AFC. If he could ever go back in time, he would want to change the 'holding' call on Logan Wilson that led to the Rams winning the game.

His favorite NFL players are Joe Burrow, Ja’Marr Chase, Logan Wilson and Trey Hendrickson, while his favorite coach is Andy Reid for his unparalleled offensive tactics. His favorite Super Bowl is the LII edition where the Philadelphia Eagles beat the New England Patriots and Nick Foles was declared MVP.

To stay at the top of his craft, Matthew keeps himself updated with stats, plays fantasy football, and makes sure all the data in his work are from reputed sources. When not working, Matthew likes to stay outdoors and engage in running and hiking.

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Edited by Windy Goodloe