Apparently, it depends on who one asks.
According to The Athletic, a number of analysts and scouts within the NFL believe that the 27-year-old running back “has very little left in his legs” and he might not get a contract above the league minimum if he decides to leave Dallas.
That leaves the Cowboys in a precarious spot when it comes to handling contract negotiations with both Elliott and his well-regarded backup, Tony Pollard. The former fourth-round pick was the Cowboys’ leading rusher last season with 1,007 yards and averaged 5.2 yards per carry, compared to Elliott’s career-low 3.8 YPC. Pollard is set to be a free agent this offseason while Elliott remains under contract for at least $10.9 million next season.
Ezekiel Elliott
Pollard is also working his way back from a fractured fibula and high ankle sprain that he suffered during the Cowboys’ divisional round playoff loss to the 49ers in January, but he remains the likeliest candidate for Jerry Jones & Co. to use their franchise tag on, which would keep Pollard in the fold for at least 2023 at the cost of $10.1 million.
Elliott, on the other hand, is reportedly open to restructuring his contract and taking a pay cut to stay with the Cowboys as well — an apparent admission that his best days are behind him. However, some of his current and former Cowboys teammates believe he can still be an important part of a winning team.
Former Cowboys receiver Dez Bryant, who spent two years playing alongside Elliott, fired back Wednesday on Twitter at the notion that the running back’s prime is over. Bryant apparently believes that injuries played a bigger role in Elliott’s struggles in 2022 than many are willing to account for.
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Bryant also responded when a reply to his tweet pointed out that Elliott played with a brace on his right knee for much of the later part of the season after suffering a knee injury in an Oct. 23 game against the Detroit Lions.
Bryant said he almost texted Elliott to “sit his a** down” when he saw the brace.
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Elliott also has another backer in the current Cowboys receiver who wears the iconic No. 88 previously worn by the likes of Bryant and Hall of Famer Michael Irvin. CeeDee Lamb expressed a desire for Elliott to return to the Cowboys on NFL Network in the days leading up to the Super Bowl.
“Yeah, of course,” Lamb said, via Sports Illustrated. “Zeke has always been a weapon here. I feel like his work that he does for this team and this offense is underappreciated. He does a lot of the dirty work and, man, this offense goes through him.”
Despite the endorsements from Bryant and Lamb, Elliott’s statistics still saw a noticeable drop-off in 2022. His 876 total rushing yards in 15 games played was the lowest of his career, over 100 yards lower than the 983 he had in just 10 games during an injury-shortened 2017 campaign.
Elliott’s involvement in the Cowboys’ pass game also saw a steep decline in 2022, as the veteran caught just 17 passes on 23 targets for a grand total of 92 yards. He had previously never recorded fewer than 250 receiving yards in a season.