DALLAS — The NFL is an ever-changing landscape. What happens one year doesn’t necessarily mean it will be a foregone conclusion the following season. For the Dallas Cowboys, and running back Ezekiel Elliott, those changing tides mean things could be heading in a different direction after a seven year union.
A staring contest could be coming, and we’ll see who blinks first. During the 2019 offseason it was the team who caved and made Elliott the highest paid RB at the time. Elliott held most of the cards in that showdown, but the Cowboys now have the winning hand against the veteran runner.
If Elliott wants to stay with the Cowboys, he’ll need to drastically reduce his salary from the money he’s scheduled to make in 2023. Currently on the books for $16.7 million, there’s zero chance that the team keeps Elliott around for another season at that price.
However, with rumors swirling that Elliott might be willing to accept a restructure at a loser cost, the two-time rushing champion seems to be weighing his options.
This wasn’t difficult to see coming with the Cowboys up against the salary cap, but restructuring or releasing Elliott could save the team valuable cap dollars. If Elliott wants to stay with the team that drafted him and stood by his side for seven years, it will be at a price more to the Cowboys’ liking this time. If Dallas releases Elliott, and designates him as a post-June cut – a likely scenario, they’ll be saving close to $11 million against the cap.
There’s no debate to be had and the choices are simple for Elliott, agree to a new contract at a much lower salary, or test the free agent waters. The latter is what Elliott’s representatives will be checking out at the combine and should give the Cowboys a clearer picture of where Elliott stands.
Last offseason, Dallas was in a similar place with defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence, and the veteran pass rusher negotiated a new deal at a reduced salary. The Cowboys seemingly want to keep their third all-time leading rusher, but at their price.
Both the team and the player are in tough positions, which makes both sides easy to understand.
Elliott’s production has dropped off over the last two seasons and the value of running backs league-wide continue to go down, especially ones with years of wear and tear on their legs. Those are two big problems for Elliott.
However, the two-time All-Pro RB still has use as a power runner who has a nose for the end zone. Elliott rushed for 876 yards and 12 scores in 15 games in 2023, proving that he can have a role in any offense. His days of running away from defenders, creating explosive plays, and carrying the load might be gone, but Elliott isn’t completely washed as some would like to believe.
Nevertheless, the Cowboys are in a bit of a predicament at the position. Their best running back from the 2022 season, Tony Pollard, is a free agent and the team doesn’t have much else on the roster. Rookie Malik Davis showed flashes of being an option, but it’s unknown if he would be able to handle the load of being a starter.
Pollard is expected to be back under the franchise tag if the team can’t work out an extension with him, but there’s no guarantee that he returns.
That leaves the Cowboys and Elliott in a place where working out a deal could be advantageous for both parties. There seems to be genuine interest from the player and the team to work things out for Elliott to remain in Dallas.
It’s also not out of the realm of possibility for the Cowboys to tag Pollard, re-sign Elliott at a reduced salary and keep the running back band together for another season. It wasn’t broke in 2022 so the only thing that needs fixing is making the money make sense.
No matter how it plays out, the Cowboys won’t be keeping Elliott at his current cost, and he’ll be rushing the ball for much less than he was scheduled to make. Soon the decision will be made for whether or not that happens with the Cowboys or somewhere else in 2023.
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