After one season away, Ezekiel Elliott is expected to return to Dallas. The Cowboys and the veteran running back have agreed to terms on a contract, team sources said, and the team plans to sign him pending a physical.
Elliott, 28, spent the first seven seasons of his NFL career in Dallas — after the team selected him with at No. 4 in 2016 — before playing last year in New England.
With the Patriots, he posted a career-low 642 rushing yards on a career-worst 3.5 yards per attempt, scoring three rushing touchdowns. But Elliott proved to be a reliable back behind Rhamondre Stevenson and stepped up when Stevenson suffered a season-ending ankle injury in Week 13, starting the final five games.
Elliott caught 51 passes, his most in a season since 2020.
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Elliott outlined his capabilities quickly and fiercely in his first pro year with Dallas, scoring 15 touchdowns and leading the NFL in rushing yards (1,631) and carries (322). He posted four 1,000-yard campaigns in his first Dallas stint and never gave the team less than 875 yards in a season. Even then, during his least productive season in Dallas in 2022, Elliott scored 12 touchdowns, matching the second-best mark of his career.
He returns to a Dallas running back room that includes Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman.
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This story will be updated.
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(Photo: Brian Fluharty / USA Today)
