It appeared as if Ezekiel Elliott’s time in Dallas was over when the Cowboys released him in March. The 2016 fourth-overall pick had a great career in Dallas, and it may not be over.
NFL Insider Brian Baldinger of the Audacy Original Podcast “In The Huddle” talked about the possibility of Elliott returning to Dallas on an incentive-laden deal.
“I think it’s a strong rumor, I really do,” Baldinger said (1:40 in player above). “I believe there are legs to this rumor.”
Elliott is one of a handful of running backs available on the free-agent market. While someone like Dalvin Cook can step in and be a starter, Elliott would be more of a secondary option at this point. Nevertheless, he may have something left in the tank.
“Could Zeke take a lower pay structure and make it up in incentives? That’s an option,” Baldinger continued. “The guy ran for 12 touchdowns last year. He’s still a productive player. He finishes drives. You want him out there on Wednesday in practice after a tough game on Sunday or Monday night. You just want him. He’s just one of these guys. He likes the game. And Jerry likes him a lot.”
Elliott ran for 876 yards on 231 carries last year for the Cowboys. His 3.8 yards per carry was a career low, but he did have those 12 touchdowns that Baldinger mentioned.
At this point, the veteran running back may be looking to wait and see what happens with teams’ situations in training camp and beyond. However, a return to Dallas is still possible.
“Zeke has to realize what’s in front of him. If he wants to keep playing he’s not going to make $12 million dollars. It’s not going to happen,” Baldinger said. “But at a lower cost and maybe incentive-laden, he could become a Cowboy. It wouldn’t surprise me to see him do it.”
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