The Dallas Cowboys did not make many significant moves in free agency this offseason. While notable Pro Bowl players like Tyron Smith and Tony Pollard bolted in free agency, the Cowboys did not bring in equal talent (at least on paper) to replace them. The lack of noteworthy spending, as well as the team’s ongoing contract negotiations with Dak Prescott, CeeDee Lamb, and Micah Parsons, have many fans believing that owner Jerry Jones lied when he said that he was “all in” this year.
Of course, one interesting decision that the Cowboys made was to bring back running Ezekiel Elliott, who spent last season with the New England Patriots after spending the first seven years of his career in Dallas.
Last year, Elliott had a career-low 642 rushing yards while averaging just 3.5 yards per carry (also a career-low).
Is Dallas Cowboys Running Back Ezekiel Elliott Contemplating Retirement?
According to Jon Machota, who covers the Cowboys for The Athletic, Elliott recently stated, “The shelf life of an NFL player is three years. Every snap, every year, one more year I get is a blessing.”
He continued, “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.”
As Elliott states above, he feels that he has unfinished business in Dallas, which is why he decided to come back on a team-friendly deal.
His comments, too, seem to be very reflective, the sort of comments one makes when they are close to end of their career.
Jerry Trotta of The Landy Hat wrote that Elliott’s comments “sounded like a player who has retirement in the back of his mind.”
Will Dallas Cowboys Running Back Ezekiel Elliott Retire After the 2024 Season?
Elliott has certainly had a noteworthy career thus far, but he has been declining for some years now. The last time he rushed for over 1,000 yards was in 2021 when he had 1,002 rushing yards and averaged 4.2 yards per carry. In 2022, the final year of his first stint with the Cowboys, he 872 rushing yards while averaging 3.8 yards per carry (he did score 10 rushing touchdowns, though).
This season, Dallas plans on using a running back by committee, meaning that there will be no running back that gets the majority of the offensive snaps, at least to start. This approach could help Elliott extend his career, but ultimately it will be up to him.
He is on a one-year contract with the Cowboys for this year, so his future with the team is uncertain beyond 2024, but the same can be said many notable players and coaches.
All this to say it will not be that big of a surprise if Elliott calls it a career after 2024.
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