After weeks of speculation, we have our answer. The Dallas Cowboys have decided to move on from running back Ezekiel Elliott after committing more than $10 million to Tony Pollard via the franchise tag.
Elliott, who was the No. 4 overall pick in 2016 was one of the best running backs in the NFL early in his career but his popularity in Dallas took a nosedive following an asinine six-year extension signed in 2019.
Unsurprisingly, the wear and tear got to Elliott who was under four yards per carry in 2022 and what proved to be his final play with America’s Team will go down in infamy.
Ezekiel Elliott's final snap with the Dallas Cowboys will end up being this play, where he lined up at center: pic.twitter.com/vh3MpJhdsX
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 15, 2023
Now looking ahead to 2023, here are five teams that could be interested in adding Elliott.
5 teams that could sign Ezekiel Elliott after Cowboys release
Ezekiel Elliot landing spot No. 5: Houston Texans
Let’s just be honest, the Houston Texans like former Cowboys. They’ve landed a few of them in recent years including Brandon Weeden, Terrance Mitchell, and Maliek Collins. They even recently signed Noah Brown and tried to bring in Leighton Vander Esch, who wound up back in Dallas.
That’s just one reason to believe they would be interested in Ezekiel Elliott. The other is that they don’t exactly have a deep running back corps.
Fourth-round pick Dameon Pierce was their top runner in 2022 with 949 yards and four touchdowns but behind him, they don’t have much going on.
Houston is expected to land a rookie quarterback in the upcoming draft and while they will lean on Pearce, it could also help for them to have a veteran running back to help the young man from having to carry the offense all alone. Throw in the fact that he can still serve as a decent check-down option and he might be a rookie QBs dream.
Ezekiel Elliot landing spot No. 4: Buffalo Bills
The Buffalo Bills were one of the favorites in the AFC last season thanks in large part to their explosive passing offense. Led by Josh Allen, who threw for 4,283 yards and 35 touchdowns, the Bills won the AFC East but were unable to get into the Super Bowl.
Looking ahead to 2023, they still have as good a shot as anyone, provided they can keep Stefon Diggs in town — and if Von Miller can return to full health. However, they could use a little help in the backfield, especially with Devin Singletary likely on the way out.
Buffalo was interested in Jamaal Williams, who was a goal-line terror with 17 touchdowns last season for the Detroit Lions. That pairing won’t come to fruition though as Williams agreed to a three-year deal with the New Orleans Saints on Wednesday.
With him out of the running, the Bills could now turn to Elliott, who was also very good near the goal line. While he had his least effective season overall with an average of 3.8 yards per rush and a career-low 876 yards, Zeke was a monster near the end zone with 12 touchdowns. He even had a streak of nine games in a row with a rushing score.
Buffalo likes what they have in James Cook, who had 507 yards as a rookie, but at just 190 pounds, he’s not likely to churn out the tough yards. That’s what Elliott can do, which is why he makes sense for this franchise.
Ezekiel Elliot landing spot No. 3: Chicago Bears
Right now, the Chicago Bears seem to be signing just about everyone.
They added Tremaine Edmunds and T.J. Edwards to bolster their linebacking corps while also bringing in DeMarcus Walker to add some power to the defensive line. On offense, they added guard Nate Davis, tackle Riley Reiff, and running back Travis Homer.
Chicago also brought in D.J. Moore as they traded the No. 1 overall pick to Carolina for the explosive wideout as well as the No. 9 and No. 61 overall pick this season, a first-rounder in 2024, and a second-rounder in 2025.
With all the additions, it’s understandable if you missed one of the few losses this offseason. Chicago will now be without David Montgomery, who signed with the Detroit Lions.
Montgomery was their second-leading rusher with 801 yards — behind Justin Fields who gained 1,143 from the quarterback position. With him out, Khalil Herbert will take over and he was great in 2022 with 731 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 5.7 yards per carry.
Even with him on board, it makes sense for the Bears to add another back and Elliott could be a good change-up from the speedy Herbert. As long as Fields is the quarterback, the Bears will threaten with the option, and having a back such as Elliott could help them add another layer to that attack.
Ezekiel Elliot landing spot No. 2: Cincinnati Bengals
During his time in Columbus, Ohio, Ezekiel Elliott became a major star. He ran for 1,878 yards and 18 touchdowns for the Ohio State Buckeyes as a sophomore and then in 2015, he put up another 1,821 yards and 23 touchdowns.
That was enough for him to land in the top five of the 2016 NFL Draft and he was also the leading rusher in the NFL as a rookie with 1,631 yards. During that rookie campaign, he had a great performance against the Cincinnati Bengals, putting up 134 yards and two touchdowns.
Elliot has faced the Bengals twice since then but hasn’t had the same impact. Still, they’ve seen what he can do when he gets rolling, which might be enough for them to kick the tires on the veteran.
Right now, the Bengals make sense for a couple of reasons. One is that they just lost Samaje Perine who signed with the Denver Broncos. Perine might not be a household name but he’s a 235-pound running back who helped a lot in short-yardage plays as well as in the passing game.
Elliot can handle each of those roles for Cincy, while also serving as insurance behind Joe Mixon, who continues to make news for all the wrong reasons.
Ezekiel Elliot landing spot No. 1: Los Angeles Chargers
Since the 2019 season, Kellen Moore served as the Cowboys offensive coordinator. During that span, they put up a lot of points and Elliott scored 40 rushing touchdowns as well as six through the air for Moore.
He might not have been at the top of his game for much of Moore’s tenure but he was still a trusted weapon that contributed not only as a runner and receiver but also served as a great blocker as well. More than once Zeke was seen sacrificing his body in order to give Dak Prescott another couple of seconds to get the pass off.
This year, Moore has a new home as he and the Cowboys decided to part ways. Moore headed to Los Angeles and will take over as the offensive coordinator for the Chargers, who could be in the market for a running back. Right now, they have Austin Ekeler but he’s requested a trade and the Chargers are willing to let that happen.
Elliott and Ekeler couldn’t be more different from one another if they tried. Zeke is a 228-pound back that wins with power. Ekeler, on the other hand, is just 200 pounds and while he has more than 900 yards in each of the past two seasons, he’s been more of a threat as a receiver.
Adding Elliott would soften the blow of losing Ekeler but wouldn’t prevent the Chargers from going after a rookie. Should they take this path, Zeke could serve as a mentor while helping others catch up in Moore’s offense
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