Did The Cowboys Release Ezekiel Elliott? Who Will Sign Elliott?

Veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott has been a superstar during his seven-year career. The former Ohio State star was the fourth overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. Zeke led the NFL with 322 rushing attempts and 1,631 yards in 15 games as a rookie.

Despite missing six games in 2017, Elliott had nearly 1,000 rushing yards and seven touchdowns that year. More importantly, the superstar had 304 rushing attempts and 1,434 yards in 15 games during the 2018 season, leading the NFL in both categories.

Unfortunately, Zeke showed signs of decline last year. The former first-round pick had 231 rushing attempts and 876 yards, both career lows. However, he did have 12 rushing touchdowns last season, the fifth-most in the NFL.

• Quarterback fantasy football rankings
• Running back fantasy football rankings
• Wide receiver fantasy football rankings
• Tight end fantasy football rankings
• Kicker fantasy football rankings
• FLEX fantasy football rankings
• Defense (D/ST) fantasy football rankings
• Superflex fantasy football rankings
• IDP fantasy football rankings
• Dynasty fantasy football rankings

Did The Cowboys Release Ezekiel Elliott?

While Elliott declined last year, Tony Pollard had a career year. The former Memphis star had his first 1,000-rushing-yard season in 2022. He also had nine rushing touchdowns, one more than his career total entering the year.

When the Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pollard last week, Zeke’s future with the team was up in the air. Dallas released the future Hall of Famer earlier today in a salary cap-saving move.

The Cowboys designated Elliott as post June 1 release. That means the team will save almost $11 million in salary cap space this offseason. However, they can’t spend that money until June 2. Meanwhile, Zeke is free to sign with a new team at any time.

Who Will Sign Ezekiel Elliott?

Despite the decline in production last year, Elliott has something left in the tank. His days as a superstar are over, but the veteran is still a capable runner, especially around the goal line. However, most teams won’t want Zeke as their No. 1 running back.

NFL teams value explosive plays, which is, unfortunately, something Elliott now lacks. Therefore, the veteran running back will likely join a team with a young and explosive running back already on the roster.

While Twitter is trying to determine the best landing spot for the veteran running back, I wouldn’t rule out a return to Dallas. Zeke likely won’t find an appealing offer on the open market and will have to settle for a one-year deal.

If he must accept a one-year contract, why not return to Dallas at a discount? He has an excellent relationship with Jerry Jones and Dak Prescott. Furthermore, Elliott can handle the short-yardage and goal-line work while Pollard takes over as the lead back.

More Fantasy Football Analysis