Getty Ex-Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott with Mike McCarthy.
Ezekiel Elliott is no longer a member of the Dallas Cowboys but he’s been spending quite a bit of time with his former teammates.
Elliott was released by the Cowboys on March 15 in a significant cap-saving move, ending his seven-year tenure with the team that took him No. 4 overall in 2016. But Elliott made a lot of connections and built close relationships during his time in Dallas, most notably with quarterback Dak Prescott.
Elliott recently reposted a photo of himself and Prescott at the “PrimeTime of Culinary Documentary Premiere,” which is just their latest sighting together. Prescott and Elliott have also been working out together, along with some other Dallas skill position players.
Elliott also posted a photo from Cowboys receiver Simi Fehoko’s account that showed him playing some pickleball with his former teammates.
Considering Elliott’s role as a leader with the Cowboys and the connections he’s made, it’s not too strange that he’s hanging out with Prescott and Co. Their friendship went well beyond football. But nonetheless, it’s interesting and it’s clear he’d be welcomed back by his former teammates if the Cowboys did decide to bring him back.
Cowboys Wouldn’t Slam Door on Elliott Returning to Dallas
What has added some intrigue to the situation is that the Cowboys brass has left the door open on a potential reunion.
“Well, that was on the table, and you might say to some degree that hasn’t changed and won’t until he signs someplace else,” Jerry Jones said at the NFL owners’ meeting in Phoenix. “I don’t want to leave him hanging, our fans hanging, or anybody, but I wouldn’t take any possibility off the table.”
Cowboys head coach and new offensive play-caller Mike McCarthy echoed his owner’s sentiment on Zeke.
“Yeah, definitely,” McCarthy said when asked about bringing Elliott back. “I think you always keep the door open. Absolutely.”
That being said, some of the scuttlebutt around a reunion with Elliott is being viewed as good PR for the team, stemming from the respect the Cowboys have for what he’s done over his career.
“He won’t [return],” David Moore of the Dallas Morning News wrote recently. “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 applied the franchise tag to Tony Pollard this offseason and he’ll be their lead back next year. They also signed Ronald Jones to a one-year deal to be part of the rotation.
Elliott Will Have to be Patient Waiting for Next Opportunity
There’s been limited interest in Elliott’s services as a free agent. He has a reported wish list of teams he’d like to play for but there haven’t been any bites.
NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport thinks that Elliott might wait until after the draft at the end of April to find a new home.
“I know there’s some interest,” Rapoport said on “The Pat McAfee Show” on Monday, April 3. “I think what might happen with Zeke is that he’ll wait until after the draft, and if someone doesn’t get the premium running back they want, he slides in there and fills the need. But I think a lot of teams now are, like, ‘You know what? We’re getting close to the draft, let me see what I get.’”
Elliott is coming off a couple of sub-par seasons but there’s no doubt he’d still be able to contrbute as a situational back for a team in search of a veteran.