Ezekiel Elliott’s Best Chance At Playing In 2023 May Be With The Dallas Cowboys

Ezekiel Elliott may have only one option when it comes to playing for a contender this season.

The former Dallas Cowboys star running back remains a free agent a little more than two weeks after he was released by the Cowboys in a salary cap move. The 27-year-old back was due to earn $10.9 million in base salary and $16.7 million in guaranteed money as the second-highest paid back in the league for the 2023 season.

While Elliott was intially linked to three contenders following his release — the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets and Cincinnati Bengals — it has since been revealed that this is mostly one-sided interest. As John Clark of NBC Sports Philadelphia reported, the Eagles have not shown any interest in adding the veteran running back. Furthermore, the three teams linked to Elliott are moreso just
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a “wish list” for the three-time Pro Bowl back, rather than a mutual interest between both parties.

“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,” said Clark.

Elliott’s chances of landing with either team were squashed when Bengals head coach Zac Taylor and Jets head coach Robert Saleh shut down the notion of adding Elliott, saying that they were happy with their current running backs. While Eagles head coach Nick Sirianni didn’t shut down the idea of signing Elliott, he didn’t exactly echo a vote of confidence in adding him either.

Which leaves Elliott with one legitimate option — re-upping with the Cowboys.

It’s not likely to happen now and it may not even happen prior to training camp. Whether or not Dallas re-signs Elliott hinges on the selection of a running back during the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cowboys have been linked to University of Texas running back Bijan Robinson, who is expected to be selected by the end of the first round of the 2023 NFL Draft. Dallas also signed former Tampa Bay Buccaneers starting running back Ronald Jones.

If the Cowboys don’t find a suitable complement to Tony Pollard — who is coming off of a broken fibula and has never served as a full-time starting back — Elliott could find his way back to Dallas. In fact, team owner Jerry Jones left open the door on Elliott’s return.

Via Clarence E. Hill of The Fort Worth-Star Telegram:

“I don’t want to ever and I don’t want to leave him hanging or-fans hanging or anybody,” Jones said. “But I wouldn’t take any possibility off the table.”

Jones detailed that the release of Elliott had everything to do with the salary cap. The former NFL rushing champ finished the 2022 season as Dallas’ leading carrier — his 231 attempts actually ranked 10th in the league — and his 12 rushing touchdowns ranked fifth in the NFL. However, his lack of burst led to a career-low 3.8 yards per carry and just 876 rushing yards.

“It was all about making the adjustment principally because of the cap because of where we were,” Jones said at the NFL Owner’s Meetings. “Love to have him. But again, with what we need to do to make our cap work and what we can do to really, in our mind, improve through scheme or another player, that was worth us saving that money on the cap.”

Head coach Mike McCarthy also didn’t close the door on the possible return of Elliott while speaking to NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero.

“Yeah, definitely,” McCarthy said when Pelissero asked if the door was still open. “I think you always keep the door open. Absolutely.”

The prospects of Elliott’s future could obviously change following the NFL draft. It appears teams such as the Jets, Bengals and Eagles are obviously focusing on adding a running back through the draft over adding a past-his-prime back with tons of mileage on his odometer.

The idea of Elliott signing with the Eagles would be an intriguing one. For one, he’d be signing with the Cowboys’ biggest rival. Secondly, he’d have a decent chance at revenge considering Philadelphia’s current projected starting back — Rashaad Penny — is extremely injury-prone and has never started more than six games in a single season.

According to NFL Network’s James Palmer, there is a chance of the Eagles signing Elliott following the draft.

“But I do look at Ezekiel Elliott and where teams stand,” says Palmer. “And where he stands is there are a lot of backs to have in this draft and there’s a deep draft for running backs here, specifically in the middle rounds. Now the Eagles don’t have picks in rounds four, five and six. If they miss out on a back, could Ezekiel Elliott land with the Eagles after the draft? That might be what we see after the draft, where Zeke lands somewhere.”

If the Eagles opt to pass on Elliott, the most likely destination for the veteran back is back to where it all began — the Cowboys.