As the Dallas Cowboys get ready for the 2024 NFL season, they really are in a “do or die” position. Following their 2023 NFL Playoff loss to the Green Bay Packers, owner Jerry Jones refuses to speak with head coach Mike McCarthy about a potential contract extension, making McCarthy a lame duck. McCarthy plans to hunt for a new position in 2025 if he is unable to lead the Cowboys to a lengthy postseason run.
Dak Prescott, the quarterback who has been to three Pro Bowls, is also nearing the end of his deal. Although Dallas intends to re-sign him, there are still concerns regarding his capacity to lead the team to their first Super Bowl victory in almost 30 years.
Prescott will have a lot to prove given his 2-5 postseason record, but there’s no doubt that the Cowboys are more likely to extend him than McCarthy are. A deal may still be completed this summer.
The Dallas Cowboys Reunited with Running Back Ezekiel Elliott
Tony Pollard led the Cowboys in rushing last season with 1,005 yards and six touchdowns. However, Pollard signed an offseason deal with the Tennessee Titans, depriving Dallas of a reliable starting running back.
Dallas opted to get back together with Ezekiel Elliott in an attempt to replace him. Elliott finished the previous season with 642 running yards and three touchdowns while playing for the New England Patriots.
Naturally, Ezoic Elliott played seven seasons as a productive runner for Dallas before the teams made the decision to split ways at the conclusion of 2022. Elliott reached 1,000 running yards four times and took home the NFL rushing title twice in his first season with the Cowboys. Following Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett in franchise history, he has amassed 8,262 yards while wearing a Dallas uniform.
Can the Dallas Cowboys Really Rely on Ezekiel Elliott to Be a Productive Running Back?
NFL expert Alex Kay lists the most overvalued players in the NFL at each position in a recent Bleacher Report piece. Elliott was the running back he recognized: Elliott recently had his worst season as a player with the New England Patriots in 2023, which is something to keep in mind.
On 184 carries, he managed just 642 yards and three touchdowns. Elliott is expected to contribute significantly this season while only earning $2 million in 2024—a far cry from the six-year, $90 million contract he signed with Dallas in 2019.
“The Cowboys are set to start the NFL’s most overrated running back because he won’t likely have much competition from unproven backups like Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn or journeyman free-
agent pickup Royce Freeman.” Despite the fact that Elliott only participated in 51% of the Patriots’ offensive snaps in the previous season, Kay’s worries are legitimate. He played the fewest snaps of his career during that period. He will undoubtedly play more now that he is Dallas’ starter running back, which should result in increased performance.
However, Elliott’s career has already lasted longer than most running backs’, and he will soon turn 29. 2022 and the previous season might have marked Elliott’s production’s demise. If so, Dallas might be in serious trouble.
The Dallas Cowboys Were Named the Best Fit for Free Agent Running Back Kareem Hunt
The truth is that Dallas has a serious quandary at the running back position. The Cowboys need to add some insurance at running back if McCarthy is to stay on the team and Prescott is to be worth the enormous deal he receives. NFL writer Kristopher Knox argues that Dallas would be the ideal destination for former Pro Bowl running back Kareem Hunt in another Bleacher Report article.
“Hunt would be a good insurance addition for the Los Angeles Chargers behind Gus Edwards and the frequently hurt J.K. Dobbins. The Dallas Cowboys, who plan to rely on Royce Freeman, Rico Dowdle, and Ezekiel Elliott, would also benefit greatly from his addition.
At this stage of their careers, Hunt and Elliott are obviously not certain starters at running back. Although Jones may believe Elliott is, throughout the Cowboys’ protracted Super Bowl drought, he has frequently been proven wrong. However, McCarthy’s offense might benefit greatly from the arrival of Elliott and Hunt, which might also help him keep his job.
