Ezekiel Elliott is back in the Dallas Cowboys backfield, and couldn’t be more excited for the reunion.
After going the entire draft without selecting a running back, the Cowboys signed Elliott to a one-year contract worth up to $3 million for the upcoming season.
“This was my priority. Doing what I could to get back here,” Elliott told Clarence Hill Jr. of The Star-Telegram. “I have a lot left to accomplish here. I’m excited to get back with the fellas and chase that ring.”
The Cowboys are banking on Elliott having enough left in the tank to take on a significant role in an otherwise inexperienced backfield. Elliott made five starts for the New England Patriots in 2023, his first season away from Dallas after being chosen with the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Elliott posted 642 rushing yards with three touchdowns while averaging 3.2 yards per carry last season.
“I can play at a high level at other places,” Elliott told Hill. “I went down to New England. It wasn’t the year I wanted. We struggled as a team. But, it was kind of cool to get a taste of another franchise and how things are done out the place.”
Now, Elliott returns to familiar territory, where he rushed for 8,262 yards with 68 touchdowns during his first stint with the Cowboys. He hopes to play a starring role in Dallas’ efforts to make strides from the 2023 season, which ended in a blowout loss to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Game after winning the NFC East Division crown.
How Ezekiel Elliott Fits Cowboys Backfield
Following his strong finish to last season, there is a legitimate possibility that Elliott opens the season atop the Cowboys’ depth chart at running back.
Across Elliott’s five starts, the 28-year-old rushed for 213 yards with one touchdown, but, it will be his experience and familiarity with the Cowboys’ scheme that could vault him into a starting role.
Rico Dowdle, whom the Cowboys believe has a bright future, rushed for 361 yards with touchdowns in his fifth NFL season, meanwhile, Deuce Vaughn averaged just 1.7 yards per carry as a rookie, and veteran Royce Freeman was signed to provide some depth back on April 16.
As for Elliott, Jerry Jones has high expectations.
“As recent as the end of the year,” Jones told reporters during a press conference during the NFL Draft. “I saw Zeke play and I’ll tell you, he’s good enough to be a starter.”
Micah Parsons Believes Cowboys Are, in Fact, All-In
Jerry Jones’ comments at the Senior Bowl that the Cowboys would be “all-in” on the 2024 season have hung over Dallas’ quizzical offseason like a dark cloud.
In addition to Elliott, the only marquee additions the Cowboys made during free agency are inside linebacker Eric Kendricks and Freeman, while several starters on both sides of the ball cashed in elsewhere.
All-Pro edge rusher Micah Parsons believes in the Cowboys’ plan and the pieces in place across the roster.
“It’s a lot of talk [about free agency],” Parsons said recently, via the New York Post. “But, I would just love to see them add guys who are going to come in and help me and [quarterback] Dak [Prescott] and create opportunities for [wide receiver] CeeDee [Lamb], you know, get things rolling and get back into the positive direction — obviously making playoffs and making a chance at a Super Bowl run,
“In reality, we still have six or seven All-Pros on our team, [that are] returning to the team that we didn’t lose,” he said. “We might have lost some fundamental, foundational pieces, but it’s nothing that we can’t obtain in the draft and things that we can make [happen] in June.”
Comments
Ezekiel Elliott Opens Up About Cowboys’ Reunion: ‘Chase That Ring’