Cowboys have reportedly reached one of the biggest decisions they'll make all year
The Cowboys appear to be at the end with former first-round pick.
It looks like the Dallas Cowboys have finally made their decision on one of Its most prominent players.
According to Clarence Hill of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram, the Cowboys are set to part ways with running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Per a source close to the situation, the Cowboys are set to part ways with the two-time NFL rushing champ and the running back is preparing to start fresh with a new team.
Well, it's it is the end for Elliott in Dallas, it's been quite the run.
Elliott was selected with the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, and he started with a bang.
As a rookie, Elliott led the league in rushing with 1,631 yards and scored 15 touchdowns on the ground. A year later, Elliott was suspended for six games due to an off-the-field incident despite never being charged with any crime.
That didn't stop him from leading the NFL in rushing yards per game with 98.3 and coming up just short of 1,000 yards in just 10 games.
In 2018, Elliott won his second rushing crown with 1,434 yards.
Elliott played hardball before the 2019 season in hopes of getting a new contract. His efforts paid off as he signed a six-year deal for $90 million.
The Cowboys received immediate dividends as Elliott finished fourth in rushing yards (1,357), fourth in rushing touchdowns (12), second in all-purpose yards (1,777), and tied for first in 100-yard games (7).
It's been tough sledding for Elliott since then.
The two-time All-Pro has only reached 1,000 yards once in the last three seasons, and he's also missed time with multiple injuries.
Then, there's the Tony Pollard factor.
Pollard has been the more explosive player since he was drafted in 2019, and in 2022, he led the Cowboys with 1,007 yards rushing thanks to an increased role.
The Cowboys placed the franchise tag on Pollard for $10.1 million earlier this month which says that he's without question in their plans for the future.
Elliott mentioned that he was willing to take a pay cut (he would count $16.4 million against the 2023 salary cap with a non-gauranteed $10.4 million base salary) to stay with the Cowboys, and the team wanted him to return. However, it appears that isn't going to happen at this point.
Elliott’s 8,262 rushing yards and 68 rushing touchdowns both rank third in Cowboys history behind Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.
Regardless of how anyone feels about Elliott, he was a very productive player for the Cowboys, and his time in Dallas should be respected.
