Is the Ezekiel Elliott era in Dallas over? The Cowboys just tagged Tony Pollard for one more year meaning they want to keep him long term
FRISCO, Texas– The era of a running back by committee may be over in Dallas. Earlier today the Dallas Cowboys franchise tagged fourth-year running back Tony Pollard for $10.091 million essentially vowing to an attempt to keep him around long term.
Just as soon as that event was settled, the media spotlight quickly shifted gears to Ezekiel Elliott– the Cowboys’ feature back since coming into the league in 2016. Elliott, now 27 is possibly nearing the end of his tenure in Dallas, after being relegated to essentially Pollard’s backup role in 2022.
Elliott had a dominant six year span with the Cowboys from 2016 to 2021, recording over 900 rushing yards in each season. Elliott was set to be owed $10.4 million and count against $16.4 million against the salary cap for the ’22 season— a high figure for a runner.
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Running back values over the past 7-10 years have sharply dropped, as their usable lifespans have been diminished by the rise of the passing game and the skyrocketing of salaries for other positions. Backfields usually have constant turnover, with the cycle repeating every four-five years. The Cowboys aren’t the only one looking to get rid of a household name either at the RB position– the Tennessee Titans are rumored to be shopping offensive kingpin Derrick Henry.
Ezekiel Elliott was a star back at Ohio State prior to joining the blue and white. Coming close to winning the Heisman in 2014, Elliott was chosen with the 4th pick of the 2016 draft. After signing an extension to remain with the team after his dominant seasons from 2016-2019, Elliott became the face of the franchise along with 2016 draftee quarterback Dak Prescott.
In 2022 though, Elliott’s lingering knee injury kept him sidelined long enough for Pollard to come in and swoop the role. Elliott posted career lows in nearly every category, with the most his rushing yards being the most tell-tale sign. His 876 yards are the first time he’s ever dipped below 900 in a single year and paled in comparison to Pollard’s 1,007.
General manager and outspoken owner of the Cowboys Jerry Jones has teeter-tottered on Ezekiel’s prospective continued residency with the ‘Boys. He has yet to say if Elliott will be released or what action the team plans to take with him. A pay cut is in the books, but the Cowboys have notoriously refused to ask for hometown discounts to their big name players.
Speaking at the NFL Scouting Combine, Jerry Jones spoke to ESPN about his indecisiveness regarding Elliott’s future, “If I could replicate the feeling that I had before [Pollard] got hurt and the feeling with Zeke, I’d dial it right now,” Jones said. “That very feeling. I would not try to improve upon that right now.”
It’s tough to say if Elliott will ever be able to replicate his production in Dallas with another team. His situation draws sharp comparison’s to another Cowboys running back in recent memory that was exiled from the DFW area.
DeMarco Murray was traded by the Cowboys right after winning 2014 AP Offensive Player of the Year to the Philadelphia Eagles. He never reached his full form elsewhere, eventually ending up in Nashville with the Tennessee Titans.
Dallas has been spoiled with great running back play over the years, but they’ve refused to lock down a monster contract with a rusher– and for good reason. Running back lifespans are among the shortest in the league. The abuse they take from each rush, the dwindling value of a solid back in an increasingly air-dominated game, and the abundance of young talent available makes it easy for general managers and teams to look for the next best thing.
Elliott has been hampered by a knee injury suffered early in the season versus the Detroit Lions. This has sparked whispers of concern amongst the NFL executive community, with Elliott’s status as an A-list player demanding a high price but his injury being a major red flag. Team bigwigs have been reluctant to pounce on him, and will likely wait until the 27-year old hits free agency, but it’s crystal clear that his knee injury and past instances have been a tarnish on an otherwise productive career.
Ezekiel Elliott himself has remained unsure of his future in Frisco. He has stated a want to stay but didn’t seem overly optimistic if his tenure in the city would continue.
“I want to be here,” Elliott said after the divisional round loss to the San Francisco 49ers. “I don’t have a crystal ball; I can’t tell you the future. But I definitely want to be here.”
Unfortunately for Elliott, his prime is long gone. When backs fall off, they never seem to be able to make a complete comeback. Whether or not Elliott can be the outlier, that remains to be seen. Elliott will have to take a major pay slash wherever he goes, to a team with healthy cap space and in need of a running back until they can segue to a younger star.
