Ezekiel Elliott, the running back for the Dallas Cowboys, is excited to be back in the city following a year spent with the New England Patriots.
“It feels great to be home,” Elliott said to Patrik Walker, a staff writer for DallasCowboys.com. “I have missed being here a lot. This building was missed by me. I missed the land of Cowboys. Without a doubt, I’m eager to get this underway and excited.”
Elliott spent his first seven seasons with Dallas, where he won two rushing titles and was selected to three Pro Bowls. He had 10,598 total yards and 80 touchdowns during that span.
In a decision connected to the salary cap, Dallas terminated Elliott following the 2022 campaign. After that, he spent a season with the Patriots, when he led the team with 5 touchdowns and 955 total yards.
Elliott and Tony Pollard shared a backfield in Elliott’s final season in Dallas. In 2024, it won’t be the case because Pollard signed a three-year contract to depart town and is now a Tennessee Titan.
But Elliott appears to be Dallas’ top rushing back now that the Cowboys haven’t selected a running back in the draft. He’ll lead a running back room that for now includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn, Royce Freeman, Malik Davis, Hunter Luepke, Snoop Conner and UDFA Nathaniel Peat.
That puts Elliott in an opportunity to be the leader on and off the backfield, a chance he looks forward to.
“Just being in this league for as long as I have been, and being comfortable with who I am, and having as many reps as I have, I can focus on bringing other guys along and help them find their way,” Elliott stated to Walker.
Numerous talented individuals with a wide range of skills are present in our RBs room. Working with them, pushing each other, and developing as better football players together will be exciting.”
Elliott, who signed a $3 million, one-year contract to return to the Cowboys, rejoins a club that finished 12-5 the previous season, good for the NFC East title and the No. 2 seed.
Despite losing 48–32 to the Green Bay Packers in the NFC Wild Card Round, Dallas has a lot of the same players who helped them succeed throughout the regular season.
Elliott’s efficiency has decreased over the years; in the previous season, he ran for a career-low 3.5 yards per carry. As demonstrated in New England, he is still a reliable workhorse who can handle the majority of the backfield touches. Presumably, he will take on that responsibility in Dallas once more when the Cowboys advance to 2024.
