Ezekiel Elliott Says He Played Good Part of Season With PCL Strain

2 min read • January 17, 2022

Posted in

NFL

After the Cowboys' Wildcard round loss, running back Ezekiel Elliott revealed that he has dealt with a partially torn PCL for a good part of the season.

A partially torn PCL would be consistent for sequela from a knee contusion where the front of his knee lands on the turf and is pushed back. 

The posterior cruciate ligament is one of the four main ligaments, but fortunately the vast majority of that time does not need anything surgical, said Dr. David Chao, ProFootballDoc.

Typically, three or four guys per team have a PCL sprain/partial tear during the season that heals well enough in the offseason without surgery, Chao said.

Only the more severe forms of PCL tear or multi ligament tears need surgery.

In fact, given the timing of the Week 9 injury, the three-time Pro Bowl running back was essentially already 100% from his PCL sprain for these playoffs.

Elliott had 12 carries for 31 yards in the Wildcard round loss to the 49ers.

The 26-year-old finished the season with 1,002 rushing yards and 10 rushing touchdowns, plus 47 catches for 287 yards and two receiving touchdowns.