Dallas Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones spent a lot of time last week going out of his way to tease three-time Pro Bowl running back The potential return of Ezekiel Elliott .
Tuesday morning, Elliott the return has become official. The eight-year veteran running back, who turns 29 on July 22, has made it clear that returning to the Cowboys has always been his ultimate goal since Dallas released him during the 2023 offseason.
“That was my priority. Doing what I could to get back here,” Elliott said, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, at the Eric Dickerson Charity Golf Tournament on Monday. “I have a lot left to accomplish here. I’m excited to get back with the guys and chase that ring.”
Jones made Elliott the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft, and he immediately rewarded the team’s faith in him after leading the entire NFL in rushing yards (1,631), rushing yards per game (108.7) and runs (322) as a rookie, earning first-team All-Pro honors. This play earned Dallas the top seed in the NFC, but the Cowboys lost on a last-second field goal, 34-31, in the NFC Divisional Round to the Green Bay Packers. Elliott accumulated three Pro Bowls in his first four seasons, but his average rushing yards per game has since declined in each season of his career. His 8,262 rushing yards and 68 rushing touchdowns in Dallas both rank third in franchise history, behind Pro Football Hall of Famers Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith in both categories. .
“Since 2016, we have been working to build this franchise to have a chance to win the Super Bowl,” Elliott said. “That’s obviously the priority. That’s the bar.”
The reason the Cowboys moved on from Elliott last offseason is because he played like the most ineffective running back in football in 2022: he ranked last in yards per carry (3.8), yards per carry (3.8), scrum touches (3.9), points percentage for 10. or more (7.4%) and tackles avoided (32) among the 22 players with 200 or more carries in 2022. However, he feels much better against to a knee injury he was dealing with that season.
“I think I’m good,” Elliott said. “My body felt really good last year. My body felt good all last year. I had my physical. My PCL seems to be healed. So from a health standpoint, I think I’m definitely better than when I left.”
Elliott signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots in 2023, and he reached a career low in almost every running back metric: rushing yards (642), rushing touchdowns (three), yards per carry (3.5) and carries. (184). He also caught 51 passes for 313 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns. For a Patriots team that went 4-13 in 2023 and ended up with the third overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft, rushing yards (642) and catches (51) d ‘Elliott led a moribund attack.
“I can play at a high level elsewhere,” Elliott said. “I went to New England. It wasn’t the year we wanted. We struggled as a team. But it was cool to get a taste of another franchise and to see how things are going.”
The running back room Elliott returns to in Dallas is much different than the one he left. The Cowboys’ 2023 starting running back and former Elliott backup, Tony Pollard, is now a Tennessee Titan after signing a three-year, $21.8 million contract in free agency this offseason. Rico Dowdle, an undrafted free agent in 2020, and Deuce Vaughn, an undersized (5’6, 176 pounds) sixth-round pick in 2023, are likely the two best backs in the Cowboys’ current depth that Elliott will have to play with. compete for the starting role in 2024.
“I feel like I’m always up for it,” Elliott said. “I had a chance to start last season. I felt comfortable in that role. I’m looking forward to doing what I need to do for this team.”
Jones feels exactly the same way as Elliott, which means it’s time for Cowboys fans to dig out their No. 21 jerseys from the depths of their closets.
“Yes,” Jones said Friday evening when asked if Elliott has RB1/starter abilities at this point in his career. “We also talked about it last night: Is Zeke an interesting guy? Yes, he’s an interesting guy. I saw him play his last few games for New England. I thought ‘He played well enough to be a starter.’
