A reunion with the Dallas Cowboys is unlikely in the cards for Ezekiel Elliott, but the Los Angeles Chargers are being mentioned as a possible landing spot which would allow the playmaker to team up with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore. The Chargers could be in the market for another running back given the current tension with Austin Ekeler who is seeking a raise. Bleacher Report’s Maurice Moton views the Chargers as the top potential fit for Elliott projecting a two-year, $9 million deal with $6.5 million guaranteed for the former Pro Bowler.
“If Elliott is willing to expand his options, he should follow his former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore to the Los Angeles Chargers,” Moton wrote on April 7, 2023. “Los Angeles has an unsettled contract situation with running back Austin Ekeler.
“Elliott could fill a void in the Chargers backfield or complement Ekeler—similar to his role alongside Tony Pollard in Dallas over the past few years. In terms of average annual value, Elliott should earn more than Jamaal Williams, who signed a three-year, $12 million contract with the New Orleans Saints after one standout campaign with the Detroit Lions (262 carries for 1,066 yards and a league-leading 17 touchdowns).”
The Cowboys Do Not Want to Bring Back Ezekiel Elliott for 2023: Report
Publicly, the Cowboys have left the door open for Elliott to return to the team given his current free-agent status. The Dallas Morning News’ David Moore reported that the team has no desire to bring back Elliott this offseason despite their public comments.
“The reluctance of Jerry and Stephen Jones to definitively declare that Elliott won’t return has led to speculation that he’ll be back. He won’t,” Moore detailed on April 4.
“The club gave his No. 21 to corner Stephon Gilmore. Stephen Jones acknowledged the Cowboys didn’t even present Elliott with a reduced offer in an effort to keep him. The reason: respect. The number that would make sense to keep Elliott on this roster is one he wouldn’t accept.
“…The Cowboys don’t want Elliott back now. The club wants him back the day he decides to retire so he can sign that one-day contract to do it with a star on his helmet.”
Zeke Elliott Has the Bengals, Jets & Eagles on His Wish List, Says ESPN’s Adam Schefter
ESPN’s Adam Schefter created a stir when the NFL insider reported that Elliott had narrowed down his next destination to the Jets, Bengals and Eagles. All three teams have either publicly or via insiders shot down the rumors. Schefter also reported that Elliott planned to sign by the end of March, but there is a good chance the running back will remain unsigned through the draft.
“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.”
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Ezekiel Elliott Predicted to Sign $9 Million Deal With AFC Contender