Running back Ezekiel Elliott has arguably been the most talked about player this offseason, and not very much of it has been good news. Multiple off-field incidents have been brought up, which have led to rumors of an impending suspension. Many sports pundits are questioning Elliott’s character and if he is a distraction to the team.

Current and former teammates have been quick to defend Elliott. In recent interviews, Tony Romo and Dez Bryant have talked about Elliott’s character off the field.

Thursday Romo did an interview on Thursday on 105.3 The Fan and said “Zeke, he’s a friend. I know that he’s a good kid. He’s just trying to find his way.” Romo went on to defend Elliott as a person saying, “I always want to give people a little grace period and a little time. The fact that I know him and I know his personality and how much good he does off the field, how good he is with people, I think he’s going to figure it out and be fine. But like we say, you always got to take responsibility and try to improve in all facets of life.”

Bryant had similar words about Elliott telling reporters, “It’s just a steppingstone that he’s gonna get over. Zeke’s a young guy. I’m not blaming it on that. [But] freshman college to playing for America’s team, it’s kinda hard to deal with . . . But, as the years pass, as he gets older, he’s gonna mature and things are gonna get a lot smoother.”

It’s clear both Romo and Bryant understand the kind of issues that becoming a star of the Dallas Cowboys at such a young age can bring. This doesn’t mean Elliott doesn’t need to mature, but his lack of maturity off the field shouldn’t make him a lost cause. More than anyone, Bryant knows how off-field incidents can create the image of a locker room distraction for a young player. He is a perfect example of the growth in maturity an NFL player can have over their career.

Hopefully the character Elliott’s teammates believe he has will shine through and help erase his negative image as he matures over time.