Inside Ohio State Legend Ezekiel Elliott's 'Awkward' Wait on the Cowboys & NFL

The truth about Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys? There is no warm plan. There is no fuzzy plan. There is no reunion plan.

Matt Galatzan | Jun 12, 2023

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The idea being discussed by the national media regarding the Dallas Cowboys and running back Ezekiel Elliott is all about some sort of warm-and-fuzzy reunion, including suggestions that Dallas "has the door open'' ... almost as if there is a pen and a contract waiting for him ... upon his the Ohio State Buckeyes legend's triumphant return to The Star.

The truth? There is no warm plan. There is no fuzzy plan. There is no reunion plan.

The NFL is a never-say-never place, so things could certainly change from that spring day when Zeke's big contract caused the Cowboys to release him. At some point, as he remains on the free agency shelf, with nary a nibble, the two-time NFL rushing champion once deemed worthy of $15 million a year might have to consider accepting a contract that amounts to a fraction of that.

Would Zeke going back to the Cowboys be "awkward,'' as has been suggested? Maybe. But the parties can work around that; he is a strong locker room guy, respected as a leader. He would surely be accepted as a leader again, even as an obvious backup to Pro Bowl starter Tony Pollard.

Know that the Cowboys have full faith that Pollard can be the guy coming out of the backfield - which the numbers support. Last season for the Cowboys he rushed for 1,007 yards and nine touchdowns, adding 39 receptions for 371 yards and three touchdowns through the air.

Zeke helped in other ways, including getting it done in short-yardage situations; he scored 12 TDs. But Dallas presently has a deep running back room behind Pollard as it tries to move on. This offseason the Cowboys signed Ronald Jones and drafted Deuce Vaughn, with Malik Davis and Rico Dowdle also options.

This is football. An injury is going to occur, in Dallas or elsewhere. Zeke's name will come up. But training camps are six weeks away. Elliott, who continues to work out vigorously in Frisco, likely faces a wait that is what qualifies as "awkward'' ... with "warm and fuzzy'' remaining unlikely.

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Published Jun 12, 2023

MATT GALATZAN

Matt Galatzan is the Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com, AllAggies.com, and the Managing Editor of BuckeyesNow.com and TheGroveReport.com He is also the Editor-In-Chief of RamDigest.com and TexansDaily.com. Galatzan graduated from the University of Mississippi, where he studied integrated marketing communications, with minors in journalism and business administration. Galatzan started in the sports journalism industry under Mike Fisher at DallasBasketball.com in 2014, which at the time was part of the 247Sports network. He also spent two years covering the SMU Mustangs for PonyStampede.com on the 247Sports network. When DallasBasketball.com and CowboysCountry.com moved over to Sports Illustrated's Fan Nation network in 2020, Galatzan followed suit, eventually being taking over as the Managing Editor and Publisher of LonghornsCountry.com and AllAggies.com a year later. Through the years, Galatzan has conducted a handful of high-profile one-on-one interviews to add to his resume — in both writing and podcasting. Some of his biggest interviews have been with Mavs owner Mark Cuban, former Longhorns players Dan Neil and Phil Dawson, and many other recruits, and current/former players for each of the teams he has covered. Galatzan is also a full-time employee in the digital media department for Audacy and KRLD FM's 105.3 The Fan in Dallas, which is the official radio home of the Dallas Cowboys. You can find Galatzan on all major social media channels, including Twitter on @MattGalatzan For any inquiries, please email matt.galatzan@gmail.com