How much would the Cowboys save by cutting Ezekiel Elliott?

Perhaps the biggest question looming over the Dallas Cowboys’ offseason is the future of Ezekiel Elliott. A large contingent of fans were ready to move on from Elliott after last season, when he averaged just 4.2 yards per carry and 58.8 yards per game and looked as though his burst and acceleration were fading.

Elliott’s contract made that impossible.

Now, though, the Cowboys can finally see the light at the end of the six-year, $90 million tunnel they dug themselves in 2019. It was unprecedented money for a running back, and the contract was met with widespread scorn given Elliott was entering his mid-20s and already had 868 carries under his belt.

It was a matter of how soon, not if, Elliott’s efficiency and quickness would begin fading. While 2021 was a step backwards for the former All-Pro, 2022 was his worst season to date. To make matters worse, he was grossly outperformed by Tony Pollard, whom many fans want to become the new lead back.

Beyond the Elliott vs Pollard discourse, though, is the fact that paying for Elliott’s declining production would limit what the Cowboys are able to do in terms of building the rest of their roster around Dak Prescott.

With all of this in mind, let’s see just how much Dallas could save by cutting Elliott this offseason to determine if it’d be worth it.

How much cap space will Cowboys save by cutting Ezekiel Elliott?

If you haven’t heard by now, Elliott wants to remain with the Cowboys and is willing to accept a pay cut to make it happen. That’s awesome, and actually could be enough to persuade Jerry Jones and company to keep him around for 2023.

But would it be the financially sound decision? Probably not, especially when you consider the potential cap savings if Zeke was axed.

As a pre June 1 cut, the Cowboys would save $4.86 million against the cap, while incurring $11.86 million in dead money. Designating Elliott as a post-June 1 cut would save $10.9 million against the cap to go with just a $5.82 million dead cap charge. Goes without saying which option is in Dallas’ best interest.

Folks, $10.9 million in savings is a huge deal. It could be enough to sign two or three players depending on their price tags … and seems worth it considering what Zeke has left in the tank (doesn’t seem like much after he averaged 2.6 yards per carry over the final six games this season).

The Cowboys simply cannot let emotion — and Elliott’s willingness to return on a reduced salary — blind them from doing what’s best for the team. They need to maximize their resources to upgrade the roster after another playoff letdown, and cutting Zeke is one of the easiest (and logical) paths to doing that.

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