Ezekiel Elliott returning to Dallas Cowboys 'makes sense,' Ian Rapoport says

Ian Rapoport of NFL Network revealed on Friday’s “The Pat McAfee Show” that he believes a reunion between running back Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys “makes sense.”

"I do think a return to the Cowboys for Ezekiel Elliott would make sense..

I believe he'll sign with a team right before camp" ~ @RapSheet #PMSLive pic.twitter.com/8eyq4tzdBN

— Pat McAfee (@PatMcAfeeShow) June 23, 2023

“I do think a return to the Cowboys would make sense,” Rapoport said. “It’s pretty clear that — you’re talking about the money that Dalvin Cook is going to get — I think that Miles Sanders got $6 million as the highest-paid free agent running back and obviously if one of those franchise tag running backs gets a deal, that will be higher, but I would expect Dalvin to be around that. Maybe a little higher than say what Miles Sanders got.

“With Ezekiel Elliott, way different story. Like he’s already gotten paid. And based on what he put out on the field last year, the money’s gonna be lower. So then it’s really his decision. It’s like, does he want to go back to the Cowboys where he is loved? He’ll have a little of a different role, that’s not easy for everyone. Tony Pollard — whether he gets paid or not — Pollard is going to be the guy.

“So it’s not going to be a lot of money, but he’ll be back in Dallas. Or then it’s like one of those contenders like you mentioned who could take a look at him, but it’s going to be low. If it’s going to be low, going back to Dallas, to me, considering that they’re going to be good, probably makes a little more sense. That would be one where I would think right before [training] camp is probably the time.”

Could Cowboys bring back Ezekiel Elliott?

Elliott, 27, rushed for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns on 4.4 yards per carry over seven seasons in Dallas. Elliott, however, regressed in 2022. He suited up in 15 games, recording career lows across the board. Elliott rushed for 876 yards on 3.8 yards per carry and had zero 100-yard-plus games. He added 17 receptions for 92 yards. The Cowboys released Elliott in March.

After four years of sharing duties with Elliott, Pollard is slated to be RB1 for the first time in his career in 2023. Though he’s coming off his first 1,000-yard rushing campaign, he underwent surgery in January to repair ligaments from a high ankle sprain he suffered in the NFC Divisional Round defeat to the San Francisco 49ers.

Dallas, meanwhile, added to its running back room in the 2023 NFL Draft. The Cowboys selected Deuce Vaughn in the sixth-round out of Kansas State. Pollard and Vaughn are joined by Malik Davis and Ronald Jones II in a rather crowded running back room.