The LA Chargers made one of the more surprising moves of the entire season leading into the NFL Playoffs by signing former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott to the practice squad. Just days prior, Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys as he was hoping to sign with a playoff team.
Elliott's wish was granted twofold as the Chargers brought him in despite disappointing results throughout the 2024 season. Many Chargers fans are now hoping Elliott can follow in the footsteps of previous veteran running backs who took their games to completely new levels once the NFL Playoffs began (looking at you, Leonard Fournette).
Elliott also gives Cowboys fans something to root for in the NFL Playoffs with Dallas missing the dance. However, any Dallas fans hoping to see Elliott's return to the state of Texas will be disappointed.
Is Ezekiel Elliott playing in Chargers-Texans?
Elliott will not be playing for the Chargers in the AFC Wild-Card Round. The Chargers did use a practice squad elevation on a running back just in case J.K. Dobbins can't play, but it wasn't Elliott. Jaret Patterson was elevated for Saturday's game, not Elliott.
J.K. Dobbins is listed as questionable after being a limited participant in Thursday's practice. Meanwhile, Gus Edwards was upgraded to a full participant and has no injury designation heading into the game.
If Dobbins is able to suit up and play for the Chargers then Patterson won't see any playing time anyway. Dobbins would assume the bell-cow back duties with Edwards being the short-yardage option and Hassan Haskins being the third running back on the depth chart.
If Dobbins is unable to go then Paterson will likely play some kind of role on Saturday. Traditionally, Kimani Vidal has been that option for the Chargers but the team may favor Patterson because of his special teams capabilities.
That also might be why Patterson is getting elevated instead of Elliott. Zeke wouldn't add much on special teams and may not be up to speed yet to have an offensive impact. If the Chargers are solely approaching this from a special teams point of view, that might be a good sign for Dobbins' status.
If the Chargers can advance past the Texans then Elliott might have a chance to suit up in future games. However, even if Elliott picks up the offense in the meantime, it will likely take injuries to Dobbins and Edwards for him to actually get playing time.
Sorry, Cowboys fans, you won't be able to watch Ezekiel Elliott on Saturday. You can watch former Cowboys wide receiver Simi Fehoko, however!