Jerry Jones not worried about Elliott's workload

The Dallas Cowboys are riding running back Ezekiel Elliott hard, with the rookie averaging a league-leading 22.1 rushes per game.

There's always the danger that first-year players will hit a wall late in the season, especially when they're handling a heavy workload. However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones isn't concerned about his star runner wearing down.

"The more we can give Ezekiel the ball the better," Jones said on 105.3 The Fan, according to The Dallas Morning News' Jon Machota. "We're winning with that. We're winning by wearing them down on defense."

Asked Friday whether the Cowboys would reduce Elliott's carries with an eye toward the playoffs, Jones said: "Not at all."

The Cowboys have a history of leaning heavily on a single running back. In 2014, DeMarco Murray touched the football - including carries and catches - 449 times, the sixth-highest total in NFL history.

However, Murray wasn't a rookie the team was hoping to keep around for the next seven or eight years, so it made sense to get as much out of him as possible in the short term.

The Cowboys have a high-quality backup in Alfred Morris, but his touches have actually declined over the past three games, further signaling that Dallas won't rest Elliott as the team looks to January.

The rookie admitted to soreness before Thursday's win over the Washington Redskins thanks to the short week, but maintains he isn't otherwise feeling the effects of his workload.

"By game time I felt great, I feel fresh, I don't feel the soreness anymore," Elliott said postgame. "This game wasn't nearly as physical as the last one we played, so I think it was fine."