Ezekiel Elliott released by Dallas Cowboys
SANTA CLARA, CALIFORNIA - JANUARY 22: Ezekiel Elliott #21 of the Dallas Cowboys looks on during an NFL divisional round playoff football game between the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys at Levis Stadium on January 22, 2023 in Santa Clara,
FRISCO, Texas - The Dallas Cowboys have moved on from running back Ezekiel Elliott.
Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed the team and Elliott are officially parting ways, and he will now be a free agent.
"Zeke defined what a great teammate should be, and anyone that has ever played a team sport would be lucky to have a teammate like Zeke and be much better for it," Jones said in a statement Wednesday afternoon. "We will always have a special place and love for Zeke and what he means to our Cowboys family, both as a person and a player. That will never change"
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Jerry Jones on Ezekiel Elliott's release: 'Zeke’s impact and influence is seared into the Cowboys franchise'
Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones released a lengthy statement on the team's decision to release Ezekiel Elliott on Wednesday.
Since being picked in the first-round of the 2016 draft, Elliott has been one of the league's best running backs, scoring 80 touchdowns throughout his Cowboys career.
He is the NFL's second-leading active rusher behind Titans RB Derrick Henry and the Cowboys third-leading rusher behind Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.
In recent years, Elliott has worn down.
In 2022, his yards per game and yards per carry fell to career-lows.
Earlier this offseason the Cowboys placed a franchise tag on RB Tony Pollard, who surpassed Elliott as the number one running back on the roster.
Elliott will reportedly be designated as a post-June 1 cut, which will save the Cowboys more than $10 million in salary cap space with $5.8 million in dead money.
He is free to sign with another team.
Dallas already traded a fifth-round draft pick to the Indianapolis Colts on Tuesday in exchange for cornerback Stephen Gilmore. The five-time Pro Bowler is a huge upgrade for the Cowboys secondary.
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The team also re-signed safety Donovan Wilson, their leading tackler last season, and linebacker Leighton Vander Esch.
More moves could be coming for the Cowboys, free agency officially begins Wednesday.