After a one-year hiatus with the New England Patriots, Ezekiel Elliott is back to being teammates with Dak Prescott on the Dallas Cowboys. Prescott couldn't be more excited to once again share a backfield with Elliott in Dallas.
The Cowboys signed the running back to a one-year contract with a max value of $3 million. Upon Elliott's arrival, Prescott couldn't wait to get him re-integrated into the offense and culture of the Cowboys, via Lawrence Dow of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram.
“Super excited. Just obviously knowing our history, my experience with him as a brother, but, in this case, as a teammate, understanding what he brings to the team,” Prescott said of Elliott. “Just the locker room alone, the culture he sets, a guy that does everything the right way, from the locker room to the field.”
Elliott spent the first seven years of his career with the Cowboys, appearing in 103 games. He ran for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns. Elliott was a Rookie of the Year, a three-time Pro Bowler and an All-Pro during his time in Dallas.
With both Prescott and Elliott arriving to the Cowboys in 2016, they got their welcome to the NFL together. Dallas made the playoffs four times until Elliott's departure in 2022. Now back together, quarterback and running back will now look to put together their latest playoff run, deeper than any previous one has gone.
Elliott enters intriguing Cowboys' running back room
The Cowboys were willing to part ways with Elliott due to the emergence of Tony Pollard. They gave him to keys to the running back room in 2023. He ran for 1,005 yards and six touchdowns. With no touchdown receptions – he had three the year prior – it was considered a down year for Pollard.
It was enough for Dallas to be willing to let him go in free agency. Which Pollard did, signing a three-year, $24 million contract with the Tennessee Titans.
With Pollard no longer in town, Elliott has a much easier path to reps. In his way are the likes of Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman.
Dowdle saw the most time of his career in 2023, earning 89 rushing attempts. He turned that into 361 yards and two scores. Vaughn was a rookie in 2023, earning 23 carries for 40 scoreless yards. Freeman signed with Dallas this offseason after running for 319 yards and two touchdowns with the Los Angeles Rams in 2023.
The Cowboys have plenty of questions in their running back room that will need to be answered by training camp. But the fact they brought Elliott back after his year away shows Dallas at least expects him to be a part of their offense. He ran for 642 yards and three touchdowns during his time with the Patriots.
Dak Prescott called Ezekiel Elliott a brother and is elated to have him back in the organization. Their friendship may need to re-blossom quickly as Elliott could be poised for a major role in the Cowboys' running back room.
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