Running back Ezekiel Elliott is a former Cowboy after asking for and receiving his release earlier this week.
Elliott returned to the Cowboys in 2024, but he did not return to a leading role in the backfield. The team went into the season planning a committee approach to the run game, but Rico Dowdle moved into a lead role and made the most of it to become the first undrafted player to hit 1,000 rushing yards for the Cowboys.
That left Elliott as an odd man out and he asked to be let go in order to try to find a landing spot with a playoff team. On Wednesday, head coach Mike McCarthy said Elliott’s past success “earned this opportunity at his request.
“It was a conversation, and he asked for an opportunity to move forward and I think that’s clearly what’s in front of him,” McCarthy said, via the team’s website.
No one claimed Elliott off of waivers, so he’s free to sign with any team but it remains unclear if anyone saw enough in his 74 carries for 226 yards and three touchdowns to think he’s part of a winning postseason formula.
