His final play for Dallas left plenty to be desired. He had career lows of 876 yards and a 3.8-yard average per carry last season. Injuries robbed Elliott of the explosiveness that marked his first few seasons, although he rarely missed games over his final two years. Elliott fought the ban in federal court, but abandoned the two-month effort 10 games into the 2017 season.ĭespite the suspension, Elliott still led the league in yards rushing per game, then added a second rushing title in 2018 when he and Prescott won their first playoff game together, a wild-card victory over Seattle. Elliott also was third behind Smith and Dorsett with 68 career touchdowns rushing.Įlliott was an instant star as the fourth overall pick out of Ohio State in 2016, leading the NFL with 1,631 yards as a rookie and helping the Cowboys to the top seed in the NFC alongside fellow first-year sensation Prescott, who edged his teammate for 2016 NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.Įlliott’s second season was interrupted by a six-game suspension over domestic violence allegations. The Cowboys have placed the $10.1 million franchise tag on Pollard for 2023.Įlliott has 8,262 career yards rushing, third on the Dallas list behind Pro Football Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith, the NFL's career leading rusher, and Tony Dorsett. While Elliott finished with 12 rushing touchdowns in a second consecutive playoff season for the Cowboys in 2022, his overall production never matched the value of a $90 million, six-year extension he signed to end a preseason-long holdout in 2019.Īs the quick start to Elliott’s career fizzled, 2019 fourth-round draft pick Tony Pollard emerged as the best playmaker for quarterback Dak Prescott in the Dallas offense. “We will always have a special place and love for Zeke.” “Moments like this come, and extremely difficult decisions and choices are made. “This is one of the toughest parts of operating a team,” said Jones, who issued similarly heartfelt statements after the salary cap-related releases of defensive end DeMarcus Ware and receiver Dez Bryant in the past decade. Owner and general manager Jerry Jones said the decision was mutual to let the 27-year-old Elliott pursue another team in free agency and give the Cowboys more financial flexibility in building a roster.
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