Getty New England Patriots playmaker Ezekiel Elliott provided new details on the Dallas Cowboys' decision to release him last offseason.
It is going to be a long week for Ezekiel Elliott as the running back is peppered with questions about playing his first game at AT&T Stadium while not wearing a Dallas Cowboys uniform. The New England Patriots running back gushed about Tony Pollard’s start to the season but initially only delivered a three-word response about the Cowboys: “business is business.”
“Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott on Tony Pollard’s production as lead back: ‘It doesn’t surprise me at all. Ever since Tony got to Dallas, I knew what type of back he is,'” The Dallas Morning News’ Michael Gehlken tweeted about Elliott’s September 27, 2023 conference call with Cowboys reporters. “Happy for Pollard’s success. ‘I wish him well.’ Little to say about with Cowboys. ‘Business is business.'”
Ezekiel Elliott Revealed There Was ‘Minimum Talks About Coming Back’ to the Dallas Cowboys
Micah Parsons on playing against Ezekiel Elliott on Sunday: “I feel like Zeke’s coming for me. He used to tell me, ‘You’re lucky I’m not out there. I’d really get you.’ If there’s ever a matchup, I’m gonna be looking forward to it, for sure. … You know Zeke, everything is gonna…
Dallas announced the decision to cut Elliott Elliott in March as the former Pro Bowler’s six-year, $90 million deal was slated to run through the 2026 season. Elliott detailed the call he received from owner Jerry Jones about his release and admitted there was minimal discussions about potentially bringing him back on a more affordable contract.
“He told me what was going on, that it’s not something he wanted to do but it was just part of business,” Elliott said of his talk with Jones, per ESPN’s Ed Werder. “There was minimum talks about coming back.”
Ezekiel Elliott Aiming to Hide His Emotions as New England Patriots Take on Dallas Cowboys
Elliott may have tried to initially brush off homecoming questions but later admitted there would be emotions lining up against the Cowboys in Week 4. The veteran running back is going to attempt to “do a good job of hiding them” as Elliott would like nothing more than to get a win over his former team.
“It’s gonna be a little bit interesting, a little bit different, going against guys that I played with for so long, but I’m not really trying to focus so much on that,” Elliott noted during the September 27 conference call, per DallasCowboys.com’s Patrik Walker. “I’m trying to focus on going out and winning the football game.
“… I don’t really have a lot of time to be emotional. I have to prepare for the game and go out there and put my best foot forward. But, there are emotions. I may do a good job of hiding them. There will be some emotions, but I’ve gotta go out there and perform.”
Dallas Cowboys Owner Jerry Jones on Zeke Elliott: ‘I Don’t Think That Physicalness … Is Contributing to Us Not Getting in the End Zone’
“It felt like two or three years, everyone … was talking about Zeke being washed. But the bottom line is, the Dallas Cowboys miss Zeke right now.”
The Cowboys red zone woes has prompted some analysts to suggest the team is missing Elliott. It does not help matters that Elliott notched 16 carries for 80 yards against the Jets in Week 3. Owner Jerry Jones reflected on whether Dallas is missing Elliott as the team continues to settle for field goals instead of touchdowns.
“Well, Zeke’s unique physicalness is always nice to have,” Jones remarked during a September 27 interview on 105.3 The Fan’s “Shan & RJ.” “Nice to have, to be trite about it, it’s very good to have. We think of physical on short yardage and probably should, but I don’t think that physicalness from the running back is contributing to us not getting in the end zone.”