The Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday granted veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott’s request to be released so he can hook on with a team bound for the postseason.
The collective reaction of those teams should be yawwnnnnn.
“Out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible, we are releasing him from the Cowboys roster today,” owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “As I have said many times previously, Zeke’s impact as one of the greatest to ever play with the Star on their helmet will never change and is etched in our record books and history forever. We thank him, love him and wish him the absolute best.”
Elliott is a shell of the running back he once was. This season for Dallas, he rushed for 226 yards on 74 carries (3.1 yards per attempt) and three touchdowns. He also caught 12 passes for 69 yards.
In 2016, Dallas made Elliott the fourth overall pick in the first round of the NFL Draft. That season, he rewarded the Cowboys by leading the league in rushing (1,631 yards), rushing attempts (322) and yards rushing per game (108.7). Two years later, he led the league in rushing again with 1,434 yards on a NFL-high 304 carries.
But since rushing for 1,002 yards for Dallas in 2021, Elliott has steadily declined, never topping 1,000 yards or averaging more than 3.8 yards per carry. In 2023, New England used Elliott mostly in short-yardage situations, and he rushed for 642 yards. In the offseason — billed by Jones as an “all-in” season — Elliott re-signed with Dallas on a one-year, $2M contract, per Spotrac.
Before Dallas’ Week 9 loss to the Falcons, the Cowboys sat Elliott for disciplinary reasons, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. He was expected to be active for the game but did not make the trip to Atlanta.
Few running backs have great success in the NFL into their late 20s. At 29, Elliott may not get another chance in the league.
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