The end may have come for No. 21.
The Cowboys are believed to be on the verge of cutting two-time rushing champ Ezekiel Elliott, according to a report from Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. Hill cites “a source close to the situation” and says the move could come as early as Wednesday afternoon, the first official day of the new league calendar.
NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport called the move “likely” after hearing from his own source; Jane Slater had a source tell her “Looking like it” when asked about the veteran’s imminent release.
The Cowboys are prepared to release RB Ezekiel Elliott, per @clarencehilljr 👀 pic.twitter.com/Z7X16qMbeY
— PFF (@PFF) March 15, 2023
Elliott and his monster $90 million contract have been a source of friction within the Cowboys fanbase ever since he signed it in 2019. At the time, he had been the league’s rushing leader twice in his first three seasons and might have made it a clean sweep if not for the controversial 2017 suspension that kept him off the field for six games.
The Ohio State product earned his third Pro Bowl nod and topped 1,300 rushing yards after inking the deal, but his production began a steady decline with the 2020 campaign. He finished 2022 with career lows in carries, rushing yards, average yards per carry, receptions, receiving yards, and average yards per catch. For the first time, he failed to log a 100-yard-rushing game all season.
But the former fourth overall draft pick had unquestionably become one of the locker room’s most treasured leaders, with teammates, coaches, and ownership all attesting to his selfless attitude and importance to the fabric of the team. It’s been believed that the front office would try desperately to keep Elliott on the roster, even though it was clear that the financial details of his contract would have to be reworked.
Ezekiel Elliott’s final snap with the Dallas Cowboys will end up being this play, where he lined up at center: pic.twitter.com/vh3MpJhdsX
— Ari Meirov (@MySportsUpdate) March 15, 2023
The 27-year-old is set to count $16.4 million against the upcoming season’s salary cap with a non-guaranteed $10.4 million base salary.
Elliott himself expressed a willingness to have his deal restructured in order to remain in Dallas, but Wednesday’s reports indicate that the two sides were apparently finally unable to find a palatable middle ground for the third-leading rusher in Cowboys history.
Releasing Elliott will save…
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