WATCH: Ezekiel Elliott felt disrespected by Jerry Jones' comment

Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is still absent from training camp and the team’s preseason games, now the NFL’s leading returning rusher is feeling disrespected by the franchise to boot.

Owner Jerry Jones assessed rookie Tony Pollard’s performance in Saturday’s preseason win versus the Rams by joking, “Zeke who?.” Elliott’s agent Rocky Arceneaux told ESPN on Monday that the comment fell flat to the person it was about.

“I didn’t think it was funny and neither did Zeke — we actually thought it was disrespectful,” Arceneaux said.

Jones followed up his own comment by explaining that he was not serious about not seeing the need for Elliott. Pollard impressed the owner with 42 rushing yards, including a 14-yard touchdown, on just five carries. But Jones wants that ability in addition to Elliott’s, not in place of it.

“If (Pollard) continues this through the next several weeks, he’s going to be right in the middle of it early, and that will really complement what we’re doing with Zeke,” Jones said. “Not replace that. And I mean that not replace that. Nobody’s getting cute here, but it’ll certainly be a great compliment.