Ezekiel Elliott was left behind when the Dallas Cowboys went to Atlanta to face the Falcons in Week 9. It was reported that he was not being held out due to a lack of production but rather for disciplinary reasons.

Jane Slater reported that Elliott had missed several team meetings and has typically been late to practices. One former player took exception to the fact that these issues were even reported.

Dez Bryant, who played in Dallas from 2010 through 2017 says there's much worse that takes place and is never reported.

From there, he said the team is disrespecting his former teammate, who is two touchdowns away from passing Tony Dorsett for second place in team history.

It's not surprising that Bryant is speaking out against Elliott being disciplined for being late since that was something he was called out for when entering the NFL. Jerry Jones laughed off the tardiness then, showing that he's always made excuses for players who have exceptional talent.

MORE: Jerry Jones' Cowboys trade deadline update is a bunch of jibberish

That being said, Bryant is surely correct that much worse happens with others. The problem with Elliott is that his play no longer justifies diva behavior. That's why the Cowboys finally drew a line in the sand.

So maybe in the end, they are showing Elliott respect. Rather than admit he's not good enough to play for them, they're claiming it's all about his attendance.

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