The Dallas Cowboys have been without one of their biggest offensive starters in all but one game during the 2022 season, and the team's poor injury luck seems to be continuing. There's a good chance that Ezekiel Elliott won't play in Week 8 against the Chicago Bears because of a sprained knee.

Elliott didn't practice Wednesday because of the injury. The running back's status is uncertain for Sunday's games in Dallas, and he might be forced to sit if the ailment doesn't improve over the next few days.

"That's just not the way we approach it, so we'll just see how he responds today," McCarthy told reporters. "[Director of rehabilitation Britt Brown] will continue to build the plan based off what they accomplish today."

The Cowboys have a bye in Week 9. Resting Elliott Sunday would give the veteran two straight weeks off, potentially allowing him to recover for the team's Week 10 matchup against the Green Bay Packers.

Elliott played with a torn PCL in his knee for much of the 2021 season. The running back didn't miss a game, but the injury seemed to affect his play. Elliott finished the season with career lows of 58.9 rushing yards per game and 16.9 receiving yards per game.

Elliott is averaging 63.3 rushing yards per game on 4.1 yards per carry this season.

The Cowboys' ground attack might not suffer much if Elliott is forced to miss a game or two. Tony Pollard has 375 rushing yards compared to Elliott's 443 yards through seven games. Pollard's 5.6 yards per attempt are the seventh-best of any player with at least 67 carries.

Dallas has finished first in total offense in two of the last three seasons. The Cowboys are down to 29th in total offense in Week 8.

Dak Prescott has only made two starts because of a thumb injury. Michael Gallup missed the first three games of the season as he recovered from a torn ACL. The Cowboys are winning games with the league's No. 2 scoring defense.

The Cowboys are favored by 9.5 points over the visiting Bears.

Ezekiel Elliott Cowboys Rams
Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys runs the ball in the fourth quarter against the Los Angeles Rams at AT&T Stadium on October 1, 2017 in Arlington, Texas. Ronald Martinez/Getty Images