NFL Rumors: Cowboys owner Jerry Jones gives verdict on Ezekiel Elliott’s possible return to franchise
The Dallas Cowboys decided to move on from Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott after seven years with the organization. Elliott had been the bell cow back for Dallas, but his numbers had declined every year for the past few seasons.
With Elliott slated to make $10.9 million as a base salary, the Cowboys moved on with Tony Pollard, who is now seen as the leading back.
Elliott had a poor season numbers wise last year, so despite his 12 rushing touchdowns, Dallas made the decision to move on.
Designated to be a post-June 1 cut, Elliott has yet to see any offers come his way (at the time of writing), and many think that is due to the NFL Draft. Now that it's over, can he expect offers to come his way? Possibly, but Dallas owner Jerry Jones isn't ruling out what would be a shock return to Frisco for the All-Pro running back.
Jones said via David Moore of the Dallas Morning News:
“No, no, no, not at all." “That ship hasn’t sailed yet. We haven’t made a decision.”
Now, with a running back room already being stacked, a return looks unlikely, but we know Jerry likes to make headlines and possibly Zeke does return. But don't count on it.
Could Jerry Jones really bring back Ezekiel Elliott?
In theory, yes, Jones could bring back Ezekiel Elliott. But given that the likes of Tony Pollard, Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, Ronald Jones and Rico Dowdle are already on the roster, someone has to make way.
Additionally, Dallas would offer Elliott a revised contract. Looking around at some of the deals free agent backs signed, Ezekiel Elliott could expect to get a $2 million deal from Dallas.
That is a serious drop-off, and when the franchise is paying the franchise tag (around $10 million) to Pollard, it wouldn't make sense to give Elliott any more than the going rate.
The fairytale of having Elliott return would tug on the heart strings, but this is a business, and that means that the likelihood of Ezekiel Elliott returning to Dallas is slim.
But this is Jerry's team, so never say never.