The Dallas Cowboys on Tuesday granted veteran operating again Ezekiel Elliott’s request to be launched so he can hook on with a group sure for the postseason.
The collective response of these groups must be yawwnnnnn.
“Out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to supply him with a possibility to pursue any potential playoff participation doable, we’re releasing him from the Cowboys roster at present,” owner Jerry Jones said in a statement. “As I’ve mentioned many occasions beforehand, Zeke’s influence as one of many biggest to ever play with the Star on their helmet won’t ever change and is etched in our document books and historical past ceaselessly. We thank him, love him and need him the best possible.”
Elliott is a shell of the operating again he as soon as was. This season for Dallas, he rushed for 226 yards on 74 carries (3.1 yards per try) and three touchdowns. He additionally caught 12 passes for 69 yards.
In 2016, Dallas made Elliott the fourth total choose within the first spherical of the NFL Draft. That season, he rewarded the Cowboys by main the league in dashing (1,631 yards), dashing makes an attempt (322) and yards dashing per recreation (108.7). Two years later, he led the league in dashing once more with 1,434 yards on a NFL-high 304 carries.
However since dashing for 1,002 yards for Dallas in 2021, Elliott has steadily declined, by no means topping 1,000 yards or averaging greater than 3.8 yards per carry. In 2023, New England used Elliott largely in short-yardage conditions, and he rushed for 642 yards. Within the offseason — billed by Jones as an “all-in” season — Elliott re-signed with Dallas on a one-year, $2M contract, per Spotrac.
Earlier than Dallas’ Week 9 loss to the Falcons, the Cowboys sat Elliott for disciplinary causes, per ESPN’s Todd Archer. He was anticipated to be energetic for the sport however didn’t make the journey to Atlanta.
Few operating backs have nice success within the NFL into their late 20s. At 29, Elliott might not get one other probability within the league.
