COWBOYS
“They kicked me out!” Ezekiel Elliott jokes with Cowboys fans
The running back took some time away from the Dallas Cowboys last year, but he’d like to remind the fans that wasn’t his choice.
Ezekiel Elliott played for the Dallas Cowboys for seven years, from 2016 to 2023. During that time, he became one of the best running backs the franchise had ever seen. For two seasons, he led the league in rushing yards with more than 300. He’s third in Cowboys’ history in both yardage (8,262) and touchdowns (80). He became a beloved part of the team and was popular with his teammates and fans alike.
Unfortunately, his time as a superstar was short-lived. In 2019, the Cowboys gave Elliott a six-year, $90 million contract extension, and coincidentally, that same year is when his performance started to decline. The deal turned out to be a big mistake for the Cowboys as they were not getting their money’s worth and were left to deal with salary cap issues.
Zeke’s return
So, Zeke left to play with the New England Patriots in the 2023 season, or rather, he was asked to leave. The Cowboys re-signed Elliott for the 2024 season as a solution to their running back problem and he seems ecstatic to be back. He’s been interacting with the fans after training camp practices just like old times.
When one fan told him he made him something, but couldn’t get it to him because “you left us!”, Zeke’s response was this:
“I didn’t leave, they kicked me out!”
Now that he’s back, Zeke is hoping to play better than he has in the last few seasons. With the Patriots, Elliott averaged just 3.5 carries and a career-low 37.8 rushing yards per game. He’s been putting the work in during the offseason and now that he’s back at Cowboys training camp, he’s not taking his time there for granted.
“The shelf life of an NFL player is three years. Every snap, every year, one more year I get is a blessing,” said Elliott. “I think it was important for me to come back because I have unfinished business. I felt like I wanted to come back and be with my guys and take another spin at it. Right now, the focus is now, having as much fun as I can. I don’t know how many more of these I’m going to have. And just take advantage of being here and living in the moment.”