FRISCO, Texas -- Running back Ezekiel Elliott has participated in three full practices the last three days and coach Jason Garrett said he anticipates the Dallas Cowboys' first-round pick will play Thursday against the Seattle Seahawks.
Elliott suffered a hamstring injury on Aug. 2 while the Cowboys practiced in Oxnard, California. He missed eight straight practices and the first two preseason games, but he was able to participate in two workouts before the team returned to Texas last week.
"I'm excited to finally get some full-go action," Elliott said Tuesday. "It's been a long time."
Garrett wasn't sure how much Elliott would play against the Seahawks. The third game of the preseason is most like the regular season for the starters, but since this is Elliott's first game some accommodations will be made.
"What we try to do with players playing in their first game is we have 8, 10, 12 plays, sometimes we go 15 to 20 plays with guys," Garrett said. "So we'll have a plan for him. We'll talk about that over the next couple of days.
"Typically with running backs, you want to make sure they get a couple of touches, throw them a couple passes, let them do different things, the things they're going to do in games. We'll have those specific discussions in the next couple of days and we'll come up with a good plan for him."
Despite missing the practice time and two preseason games, Elliott does not feel behind. "I think I've done a good job getting my mental reps when I was out and I'm finally getting back into the groove," he said. "I think I'm ready."
Last week against the Miami Dolphins, Alfred Morris carried 13 times for 86 yards and a touchdown. As he watched from the sideline, Elliott liked the size of the holes opened by the offensive line. The line could be bolstered by the potential return of left tackle Tyron Smith, who has been recovering from a stinger.
"We definitely have the best O-line in America," Elliott said, "so it's going to be exciting to get behind that line."