A year after being released by the Cowboys, Dallas has reportedly agreed to terms with running back Ezekiel Elliott on a one-year, $3 million deal including $2 million guaranteed. Dallas walked away from the 2024 draft without selecting a runner and moved quickly to fill the need.
The Cowboys hosted Elliott and his representatives at team headquarters just before the draft and a reunion makes sense. The Cowboys struggled to rush the ball in short yardage situations last season and his skillset could be extremely valuable next season.
Just to give you an update on a pending item:
Ezekiel Elliott passed his physical. #Cowboys
— Patrik [No C] Walker (@VoiceOfTheStar) April 29, 2024
In his Dallas return, Ezekiel Elliott should have great value in short-yardage and goal-line situations.
The #Cowboys were 26th in the NFL in goal-to-go efficiency last season and scored a touchdown on only 4 of 8 rush attempts from the 1-yard line, per @EpKap pic.twitter.com/lZoJSDcwMk
— Ed Werder (@WerderEdESPN) April 29, 2024
Elliott rejoins a backfield that includes 2023 RB2 Rico Dowdle, 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn, 2023 UDFA Hunter Luepke, as well as Malik Davis, Royce Freeman and Snoop Conner. Dallas also signed Nate Peat in UDFA over the weekend.
Dallas selected Elliott with the fourth overall selection in the 2016 NFL draft. In his rookie season, He rushed 322 times for 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns. Elliott would receive 43% of the AP NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year votes but come in second place to fellow rookie teammate, quarterback Dak Prescott.
Elliott’s second season was cut short due to a very public legal battle which eventually ended with him serving a six-game suspension. He would only play in 10 games that season and the Cowboys would miss the playoffs.
After his third season, Elliott and his representatives angled for a contract extension and held out before signing a six-year, $90 million deal with $50 million of that guaranteed. That contract should have kept him in Dallas through the 2026 season but the team opted to go in a different direction following 2022.
On March 31, 2023, Dallas cut Elliott as a Post-June 1st release, providing immediate salary cap relief for the team. The long-term results left a pile of dead money including $6 million for the 2024 season.
In just seven seasons in Dallas, Elliott ranks third on the team’s All-Time rushing list behind Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith (17,162) and Tony Dorsett (12,036) with 8,262 rushing yards. He also ranks third in rushing touchdowns (68) and rushing attempts (1881),
In total, Ezekiel Elliott is tied to Dallas with two contracts that will count roughly $9 million on the Cowboys books in 2024.