EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (AP) — Ezekiel Elliott was on the practice field for the Los Angeles Chargers on Tuesday, after the veteran running back was signed to the practice squad.
Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31 so that he could possibly sign with a playoff team seeking an experienced running back.
The Chargers (11-6) are the No. 5 seed in the AFC and open the playoffs at Houston on Saturday in a wild-card round game.
Coach Jim Harbaugh said he still has some “bruises” from Elliott when trying to come up with ways to stop him. It didn’t work in 2015 when Harbaugh was in his first season at Michigan as Elliott ran for 214 yards and two touchdowns in Ohio State’s 42-13 victory.
“Competitors welcome. It is great to see him. He’s here and he’ll start going at it today,” Harbaugh said.
There is also another familiar face for Elliott in the Chargers locker room. Joey Bosa was Elliott’s roommate during their first two years at Ohio State, including the 2014 national championship season.
Both were drafted in 2016 when Bosa went third overall to the Chargers and Elliott was selected one spot later by the Cowboys.
This season in 15 games, Elliott had just 74 carries for 226 yards with a 3.1-yard-per-carry average, all career lows. The two-time NFL rushing champion has 9,130 yards and 74 rushing touchdowns in nine seasons.
How much Elliott can get up to speed leading up to Saturday remains to be seen.
J.K. Dobbins is the Chargers starting running back and provides a spark to their rushing attack. Los Angeles is averaging 121.8 yards and 4.1 yards per carry with Dobbins in the lineup compared with the 74.8 yards per game and 3.6 yards per carry during the four games he missed because of a knee injury.
Dobbins rushed for a career-high 905 yards with nine rushing touchdowns during the regular season. He has combined for 139 yards on 37 carries and a touchdown in wins at New England and Las Vegas since coming off injured reserve.
Gus Edwards missed the last two games of the regular season with an ankle injury, but was back on the practice field on Tuesday. Hassan Haskins and Kimani Vidal are also on the active roster.
Adding a veteran running back leading into the playoffs is starting to become the norm.
The same thing happened last season when Dalvin Cook was cut by the New York Jets and played for Baltimore in a divisional-round win over Houston.
To make room for Elliott, the Chargers released wide receiver Laviska Shenault from the practice squad.
NOTES: WR Joshua Palmer (foot) was the only player who did not practice. … OT Rashawn Slater was a limited participant after an MRI on his knee did not reveal any significant injury. Slater was declared inactive during pregame warmups on Sunday after he experienced knee discomfort. … WR Simi Fehoko had his 21-day practice window open. Fehoko has been on injured reserve after he dislocated his elbow at Cleveland on Nov. 2.
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