Cowboys Rumors: Is Ezekiel Elliott on verge of joining AFC contender?

The NFL draft is just weeks away and former Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott is still searching for a new home.

It was a few weeks ago ESPN’s Adam Schefter listed the Eagles, Bengals and Jets as Elliott’s top landing spots. It ultimately became clear that was more of a wishlist than anything. Eagles reporters shot down any interest from Philly, while Zac Taylor did the same for the Bengals, and Jets RBs Breece Hall and Michael Carter both took to Twitter to communicate New York’s backfield is already full.

It’s unclear who the leader is to sign Elliott, but the latest happenings around the league peg Cincinnati as the runaway favorites. ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler even said on NFL Live that the Bengals are “looming large” as the frontrunners.

That seems to be the case after Cincinnati police resubmitted a misdemeanor aggravated menacing charge against Joe Mixon after new evidence was discovered.

Will former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott sign with the Bengals?

The Bengals starting RB since 2018, Mixon allegedly pointed a gun at a woman in January, though the charge was dropped shortly thereafter. There’s been rumblings about the Bengals releasing Mixon, and it stands to reason the odds of that increased after this.

It’s noteworthy, too, that Cincinnati lost backup Samaje Perine to free agency. Perine signed with the Broncos after a career year in which he rushed for 394 yards and two touchdowns on 4.1 yards per attempt and caught 38 passes for 287 yards and an additional four scores.

With so much uncertainty in the backfield, it’s easy to connect why Elliott makes sense for the Bengals. It also doesn’t hurt that Elliott starred at Ohio State and seemingly is still adored by the fan base. Paycor Stadium in Cincy is less than two hours from Ohio State’s campus in Columbus, Ohio, after all.

Additionally, Elliott was spotted hanging out with Bengals wideout Ja’Marr Chase at an EXOS training facility.

ESPN Bengals reporter Ben Baby reported Elliott and Chase are good friends and are represented by the same agent, Rocky Arceneaux.

This could obviously mean nothing, but it shouldn’t be ignored, either.

Mixon could either be released or headed for a potential suspension, while Perine is no longer available to take the reins. Couple that with Elliott and Chase seemingly training together, and the Zeke-Bengals speculation doesn’t figure to decelerate anytime soon.

All things considered, Elliott returning to Cincinnati would be the best-case scenario for Cowboys fans.

Jets RBs show true feelings about Cowboys’ Ezekiel Elliott as rumors swirl

Jets running backs Breece Hall and Michael Carter don't seem to want the team to sign former Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott in free agency.