Report: Patriots RB Ezekiel Elliott Returns to Cowboys on 1-Year Deal

It was announced the former New England Patriots back returned home on Monday.

Dec 24, 2023; Denver, Colorado, USA; New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) / Ron Chenoy-USA TODAY Sports

After a brief stay in Foxboro, the now former New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott has returned to the Dallas Cowboys on a one-year, $3 million deal for the upcoming 2024-25 season.

Elliott looks to return to the place where it all started, being selected by the Cowboys 4th overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. During his time in Dallas, Zeke secured three Pro Bowls and two All-Pro selections, also making his way into the franchise's top three all-time rushing leaders with 8,262 total yards.  

He'll likely jump into a pretty significant role with the Cowboys early on, as the team will likely be searching for increased production in a backfield that lost Tony Pollard to the Tennessee Titans earlier this spring. Elliott will be in an RB room alongside second-year backs Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn, where his veteran presence will prove to be a valuable voice as it was in New England.

He's coming off a solid year with the Patriots, where he posted season totals of 955 scrimmage yards and five combined touchdowns in 15 games en route to becoming one of the focal points of a lacking New England offense.

Now that he'll get his spot back in Dallas alongside playmakers like CeeDee Lamb and Brandon Cooks, it could help him flourish in a role where he doesn't have as much responsibility carrying the scoring load. We know how effective the Cowboys have been in the past with a strong rushing attack, and Elliott could help bring that energy back after their team ranked just 14th in the league rushing yards during 2023.

For the Patriots, it leaves their depth chart with a running back room headlined by Rhamondre Stevenson, offseason addition Antonio Gibson, and third-year back Kevin Harris. As much of the summer still lies ahead of us, keep an eye on how New England approaches their backfield with more additions potentially in store.