Ezekiel Elliott has a wish list of teams he’d like to land with. The bad news for the former Dallas Cowboys running back is that the interest from those teams doesn’t appear to be mutual.
The three teams Elliott would like to play for are the Philadelphia Eagles, Cincinnati Bengals and New York Jets, per Adam Schefter of ESPN. However, that doesn’t seem to indicate that there’s been a conversation about Elliott actually playing for those teams.
After that report, John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia tweeted: “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.”
The Eagles lost running back Miles Sanders in free agency but signed former Seattle Seahawks running back Rashaad Penny. He has an injury history but has proven to be an effective weapon when he can get on the field. They also have Kenneth Gainwell, Boston Scott and Trey Sermon in the mix.
That’s not to say Philly isn’t interested. Eagles stars Lane Johnson and Darius Slay both sent messages to Elliott recruiting him to the defending NFC champs.
“I kno u want to run behind the best Oline,” Slay tweeted, tagging Elliott.
Ezekiel Elliott Might Not Have Spot With Jets or Bengals
The Bengals have also disputed their interest in Elliott. Head coach Zac Taylor was asked by local ABC affiliate WCPO-TV about the former Cowboys back and classified it as a rumor.
“There’s a lot of great players that are available right now,” Taylor said. “We like our team as 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.”
That leaves the Jets, who appear to have bigger fish to fry with a rumored trade for Packers quarterback Aaron Rodgers. However, the report did draw out a response from Jets’ current starter Breece Hall.
“I think we good over here,” Hall tweeted, tagging fellow Jets RB Michael Carter. He later deleted the message.
Elliott Coming Off Rough Year With Cowboys
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
The Cowboys parted ways with Elliott on March 15 in a cap-saving move, bringing an end to his seven-season tenure with the team.
Elliott’s resume can stack up with any running back out there. He’s led the league in rushing twice and has three Pro Bowl selections to his name. However, the NFL is a “what have you done for me lately” kind of league and Elliott’s production has started to taper off.
Elliott is coming off a year where he rushed for a career-low 876 yards. He did find the end zone a dozen times but he managed just 3.8 yards per carry.
There’s a very slight chance Elliott could return to the Cowboys on a smaller deal, which would please quarterback Dak Prescott. Dallas’ franchise QB was “hurt” following the release of his good friend.
“Obviously I’ve talked to him,” Prescott told The Athletic’s Jon Machota. “I’m hurt. I’m sure he is. But it’s more important for me to just be able to support him. I know he’s got more opportunities coming his way. I love that guy. Proud of him. I’m the No. 1 supporter for him no matter what.”
It’s been a tough market for running backs but Elliott will likely land on his feet somewhere as free agency trickles along.
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Ex-Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott Gets Bad News on NFL Future