Getty Ezekiel Elliott will be playing for a new team in 2023.
Former Dallas Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott has his eyes on reuniting with a quarterback he has some familiarity with dating back to his college days at Ohio State. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the Bengals are one of three teams Elliott would like to play for next season and the NFL insider points out the playmaker was teammates with Joe Burrow at Ohio State.
“Cowboys’ RB Ezekiel Elliott has narrowed down his options about where to play to the Eagles, Jets and Bengals, and he would like to make his decision about where to sign by the end of next week, per sources,” Schefter said in a series of March 23, 2023 tweets. “Eagles once signed former Cowboys’ RB DeMarco Murray after the Cowboys let him go. Aaron Rodgers would be a lure to the Jets. Joe Burrow was at Ohio State in 2015 when Ezekiel Elliott was there.”
Elliott and Burrow were Buckeyes teammates in 2015 before the playmaker headed to the NFL. Burrow found himself behind Cardale Jones who was the Ohio State starting quarterback for the majority of the 2015 season. Elliott declared for the 2016 draft, while Burrow spent another two seasons buried on the depth chart behind J.T. Barrett.
Burrow transferred to LSU where he spent his final two collegiate seasons. The quarterback established himself as one of the top college football quarterbacks leading the Tigers to a national championship while winning the Heisman Trophy during the 2019 season.
The Bengals Are ‘Looming Large’ to Sign Ezekiel Elliott, Says Insider
The Bengals could be “looming large” in the market for Ezekiel Elliott 👀
“I’m told they’re looking to add a RB … either to pair with Joe Mixon or move on from Mixon.” — @JFowlerESPN
ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported that the buzz around the league is that the Bengals are “looming large” as a potential destination for Elliott. Fowler added that Elliott could fit Cincinnati’s preferred style as a “power-option running” team.
“So, talking to some teams and some people around the league, they believe the Bengals here could be looming large, because I’m told they’re looking to add a running back either [via] free agency or the draft,” Fowler explained during a March 24 edition of “NFL Live.” “Either to pair with Joe Mixon or if they were to move on from Mixon, they could save nearly $8 million in cap space. But I do expect the Bengals to make a move at some point and Elliott would sort of play into their mold as wanting a power-option running game.”
Bengals HC Zac Taylor on Zeke Rumors: ‘We Like Our Team Where It’s at Right Now’
Bengals coach Zac Taylor addressed the ESPN report that said former Dallas Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott is considering Cincinnati as one of three finalists. Taylor was the keynote speaker tonight for St. Xavier’s 39th annual Athletic Hall of Fame Dinner and Induction. @WCPO
It remains to be seen if there is mutual interest from the three teams on Elliott’s list. Bengals head coach Zac Taylor downplayed the Elliott rumors noting that Cincinnati “like[s] our team where it’s at right now.”
“There’s a lot of great players that are available right now,” Taylor told WCPO’s Mike Dyer during a March 23 interview. “We like our team where it’s at right now, but it’s always funny when things get thrown around. Sometimes it’s the first you hear of it, but that’s just the way life works.”
The Eagles Are Not Pursuing Ezekiel Elliott: Report
According to NBC Sports Philadelphia’s John Clark, the Eagles have yet to show an interest in adding Elliott. The three teams linked to Elliott appear to be more of a “wish list” from the playmaker but does not indicate there is a mutual interest.
“I’m told as of right now the Eagles have not engaged in conversations with Ezekiel Elliott about joining the team and are happy with the running backs they have right now,” Clark tweeted on March 23. “It seems the Eagles, Bengals, Jets are a wish list for Ezekiel Elliott and where he would like to play.”