Former Cowboys star DeMarcus Ware speaks out on Ezekiel Elliott's release

Former Dallas Cowboys defensive star DeMarcus Ware spoke to reporters this week about his former team cutting one of the faces of the franchise in running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Ware, who played for the Cowboys from 2005-13, dealt with a similar cut before landing with the Denver Broncos, making two more Pro Bowls and winning a Super Bowl.

“It just it is what it is,” Ware said of Elliott’s release, via the Fort Worth Star-Telegram. “But Zeke still has a lot in the tank. But you got to also think about the salary cap issues that I don’t know about.

“That was the best decision. It happened to me to where it got to a point where I was still playing well. I still had something in the tank. But you got to also think about the whole team in general. And so they made the right decision. And they’ll keep doing the same thing.”

Going on more than two weeks since Elliott hit the free agency market, the former Cowboys running back still hasn’t signed with a new team.

Dallas cut him to save just shy of $11 million in cap space for the 2023 season. They’ve put that cap space to good use with two trades, three free agent signings and plenty more in-house signings this offseason.

Cowboys part ways with Elliott after seven seasons

Elliott hasn’t spoken out about his release from the Cowboys after seven seasons so it’s unclear how the almost-28-year-old feels. The most he’s interacted with his fans online has been a request to return to his No. 15 jersey that he wore in his Ohio State days. He’s also posted a few clips of his training sessions.

Although Elliott may feel bitter now about his split with the Cowboys, Ware believes the two parties can be cordial in the future. The front-office has even kept the door open for his return, if that’s how things play out.

“It’s hard because when you play for a team as big as Dallas and that is America’s Team,” Ware said. “I got to play nine years in Dallas. I gave everything to Dallas. But as far the transition to another team, but you find out really fast that it’s a business.

“You got to take your business elsewhere, and keep it going. I did that in Denver. But I got to come back home. I’m still good friends with [Cowboys owner] Jerry [Jones]. I still do a lot of stuff for the Cowboys.”