Jerry Jones leaves door open for Ezekiel Elliott return

According to Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones, the door isn’t closed on a potential reunion with running back Ezekiel Elliott. 

Following the conclusion of the NFL Draft on Saturday, Jones said that the “ship hasn’t sailed” on Elliott possibly re-signing with Dallas. 

“We haven’t made a decision at all,” Jones said via Jon Machota of The Athletic. “As far as our interest in Zeke, nothing we did today changes that. I haven’t ruled out Zeke.” 

It’s hard to say whether or not Jones is being genuine in his comments, though bringing Elliott back into the fold could significantly boost team morale. Veteran quarterback Dak Prescott seemed to take Elliott’s release especially hard earlier in the offseason, saying he “can’t imagine taking the field without him.” 

Facing a potential cap hit of $16.7 million if they were to keep Elliott around, it was no surprise when the Cowboys cut their longtime runner back in March. Many initially wondered why the Cowboys didn’t attempt to restructure Elliott’s deal to lessen the financial blow while allowing him the chance to retire a Cowboy. Jones has revealed the Cowboys didn’t ask Elliott to take a pay cut so as not to insult one of the best players in the franchise’s history.

Even though Elliott is on the back end of his career, he is still likely to command a decent chunk of cash as a free agent. So far this offseason, the top two free agent backs, Miles Sanders and David Montgomery, have signed contracts averaging roughly $6 million annually. 

If Dallas can work out the financials to bring Elliott back, the real question is whether there would even be real room for him in the Cowboys’ backfield. The team is committed to Tony Pollard, who emerged as lead back via a career year in 2022. And, on Saturday, the Cowboys invested a sixth-round pick on a running back, selecting Deuce Vaughn — son of Dallas associate director of scouting Chris Vaughn — out of Kansas State.