Mike McCarthy on Ezekiel Elliott's reintegration: 'He's picked it up seamlessly'

Ezekiel Elliott is sporting the No. 15 jersey, instead of No. 21, but he’s still the same old Zeke. Dallas Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy opened up about the return of the former No. 4 overall pick as the team exits OTAs and heads into mandatory minicamp this week.

“In a lot of ways, it feels like Zeke never left,” McCarthy said on Thursday. “He’s had some new learning schematically and the language but he’s picked it up seamlessly, looks good.”

Since Elliott left the Cowboys, the team has parted ways with former offensive coordinator Kellen Moore in favor of Brian Schottenheimer. Schottenheimer isn’t calling the offense, however. McCarthy took over after another 12-5 season that ended with a clipped run in the playoffs.

Having a seasoned veteran in the backfield like Elliott will undoubtedly benefit the offense as the head coach heads into his second year as the play-caller – and potentially his last year overall. McCarthy is in his final contract year with Dallas, so big change could be on the horizon if the Cowboys don’t win a conference championship, or more, this season.

In his last year with the Cowboys before his departure for New England, Elliott was part of a two-man team carrying the load for the running backs with Tony Pollard. Though he’s back, McCarthy still isn’t planning to put the full load on the former first-rounder as he believes that wouldn’t be “fair.”

“We’re running back by committee, but I think he’ll definitely play at the level that he’s played, I know, in my time here. I anticipate that,” McCarthy said. “I don’t see any drop off in the way he moves. He’s in good shape. … He’s come in here, and he’s picked up right where he left off.”

Cowboys to deploy running back-by-committee strategy

The Cowboys picked up several young options, and a couple of veterans with Elliott and Royce Freeman this offseason. The team is now chock-full of running backs, but it’s unclear who will take the reins when the season begins – whether it be Deuce Vaughn, Snoop Conner, Rico Dowdle, Malik Davis or another former undrafted free agent.

“I think it’s the times that we’re in. 17 games is a lot of football,” McCarthy said. “That’s a big role for those guys. Don’t get me wrong, they’d all like to carry it like the old days and have all those touches, but you want those guys fresh at the most important time of year. It’s all part of the planning and how you project touches and playing time.”

Elliott’s last season with an average of more than four yards a carry came in 2021 for Dallas. He had 1,002 yards in 17 games played with 10 touchdowns. He also added 47 receptions that year for 287 yards. The Patriots took full advantage of his abilities as a receiver last year. He surpassed 50 receptions for the first time since 2020, tallying 313 yards and two scores. That will be a big part of his game this year in his return with Dallas.