Saddle Up! Dallas Cowboys Bring Back RB Ezekiel Elliot On 1-Year Deal

The Dallas Cowboys are welcoming back a recent franchise legend back to Arlington, TX. 

After owner Jerry Jones expressed strong interest in bringing him back to his original NFL team, Dallas pulled the trigger on signing Ezekiel Elliot to a 1-year, $3-million deal with $2 million in guaranteed money. 

"Zeke" returns to the team that selected him with the fourth-overall pick in 2016.  For the first seven years of his career, he played with a star on his helmet before the franchise let him walk after the 2022 season.

After Dallas let him go, Elliot signed a one-year deal with the New England Patriots. As the season progressed, he got the lion’s share of the carries and was a viable threat as a receiver coming out of the backfield. In a forgettable year offensively for the Patriots, he managed to be one of the few bright spots on that side of the ball, gaining 955 all-purpose yards and five total touchdowns.

Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) leaps over Denver Broncos cornerback Ja'Quan McMillian (29) in the third quarter at Empower Field at Mile High. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-USA TODAY Sports

Ezekiel Elliot Wears A Star Again

After seeing Elliot perform well in Foxborough, Jones expressed firm belief during the NFL Draft that the running back could still be option No. 1 out of the backfield for Dallas.

"We talked about this last night too: Is Zeke someone of interest? Yeah, he is someone of interest," Jones told CBS Sports on Friday. I saw him play his last games with New England. I thought he played well enough to be a starter."  

Oddly enough, he might just end up being a starter. NFL Network’s Tom Pelissero noted that the Cowboy’s running back depth isn’t great, so a proven veteran like Elliot could end up getting RB1 duties.

Looks like Zeke is going to eat in Dallas once again.