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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Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott works out prior to an NFL football game against the Philadelphia Eagles, Sunday, Dec. 29, 2024, in Philadelphia. (AP Photo/Chris Szagola)
Ski patrollers at the biggest U.S. ski resort reached a tentative deal with the corporate owner of Utah's Park City Mountain Resort to end a strike and resume normal operations after almost two weeks of closed terrain and long lift lines at the busiest time of year.
Neither the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association nor Colorado-based Vail Resorts released details about the agreement ahead of a planned ratification vote Wednesday.
Whatever happens, the strike brought attention — and judging from the many supportive car honks for strikers, sympathy — to the struggle of ski patrollers to make ends meet in pricey mountain communities.
A union win could produce better pay for other ski workers, predicted one industry watcher.
“Generally when one group of employees successfully bargains for a contract they think is fair, it does tend to create the ‘rising tide lifts all boats’ dynamic,” said Alex Kaufman, a former ski resort marketing executive and podcaster.
Park City, about 30 miles (48 kilometers) east of Salt Lake City, is a resort town of about 8,000 people where the average home price tops $1.5 million and the cost of living is well above average.
The 200 ski patrollers at Park City Mountain Resort went on strike on Dec. 27 alleging unfair bargaining in negotiations since March. The tentative deal to be in effect through April 2027 had the unanimous approval of ski patrol negotiators, according to a joint statement from the union and the resort.
“Everyone looks forward to restoring normal resort operations and moving forward together as one team,” the statement said.
Ski patrollers maintain safety by monitoring terrain, responding to accidents, hauling hurt skiers downhill and reducing avalanche risk, such as by releasing built-up snow with explosives when nobody’s nearby. It’s specialized work where familiarity with a resort’s terrain and how to respond to a variety of injuries and situations can be valuable.
It's also a seasonal job. Many ski patrollers work as fly-fishing, mountain biking and whitewater rafting guides in warmer months.
Pointing to steep inflation since 2022, the Park City Professional Ski Patrollers Association sought a pay increase from $21 to $23 an hour. The union said $27 is a livable wage in Park City, which is also home to Deer Valley Resort.
It also sought higher pay for the longest-serving patrollers. The current scale tops out after five years on the job.
Vail Resorts, which with 42 properties on three continents calls itself the world’s largest mountain resort operator, said it already had been generous with the Park City Mountain Resort ski patrollers, pointing to a 50% base-pay increase from $13 to $21 an hour in 2022. It was offering a 4% pay increase for most patrollers and $1,600 each year for their equipment.
Ski labor negotiations aren't unusual, but this strike happened after talks went much longer into the year than usual, drawing attention during a busy time, observed Kaufman.
"The issue was probably never really about the money or benefits. It was a conscious decision by Vail Resorts to let it bleed into the holidays," Kaufman said. “They overplayed their hand and paid the price.”
Despite long waits, even some Park City Mountain Resort skiers have been sympathetic to the workers. “Pay your employees!” they chanted from lift lines in videos posted on social media.
Labor unions have secured meaningful employer concessions in recent months following strikes by Boeing factory workers, dockworkers at East and Gulf coast ports, video game performers, and hotel and casino workers on the Las Vegas Strip.
The 45,000 dockworkers’ ongoing threats to resume their strike over automation would shut down ports and could damage the economy as President-elect Donald Trump returns to the White House.
Park City Ski Patrol strike as they demand livable wages in Park City, Utah Jan 7. 2025, (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Park City Ski Patrol strike as they demand livable wages in Park City, Utah Jan 7. 2025, (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Park City Ski Resort lines and lifts are shut down due to the strike by the Park City Ski Patrol requesting livable wages in Park City, Utah, Tuesday, Jan 7. 2025,. (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
Park City Ski Patrol strike as they demand livable wages in Park City, Utah Jan 7. 2025, (AP Photo/Melissa Majchrzak)
