Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones at training camp. (Kirby Lee-USA TODAY Sports)
The NFL rumors surrounding Ezekiel Elliott returning to the Cowboys haven’t gone away for good reason. One NFL insider says the idea has real legs.
When the Cowboys cut Ezekiel Elliott earlier this year, it felt like the end of an era.
But it doesn’t have to be.
Even though Elliott is a free agent with the ability to sign anywhere in the league, rumors have persisted that the Cowboys might bring him back.
NFL Insider Brian Baldinger reinforced those rumors on Audacy’s “In The Huddle” podcast.
“I think it’s a strong rumor, I really do,” Baldinger said. “I believe there are legs to this rumor.”
NFL rumors: Ezekiel Elliott reunion with Cowboys has legs
Baldinger’s reasoning for that is simple: The Cowboys cut Elliott because they couldn’t afford to pay two running backs $10 million each. Elliott was still productive. He was just too expensive.
But owner Jerry Jones clearly thinks highly of Elliott and if the expense hurdle were no longer an issue, it would seem obvious to bring back the former first-round pick instead of going after other free agents.
“You want him out there on Wednesday in practice after a tough game on Sunday or Monday night. You just want him. He’s just one of these guys. He likes the game. And Jerry likes him a lot,” Baldinger said.
The biggest problem with the rumor is that it’s focused firmly on the Cowboys perspective. Of course they’d love to have Elliott on a cheap contract.
Would Elliott accept a cheap contract? Sure, he’s not going to find someone to pay him more than $10 million, but there are other teams out there with tons of cap space and enough desperation to pay the soon-to-be 28-year-old running back a competitive salary that wouldn’t have to be based around incentives.
The Elliott-returns-to-Dallas rumors have legs because the Cowboys want them to have legs.