{"id":16788,"date":"2025-01-04T03:28:16","date_gmt":"2025-01-04T03:28:16","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=16788"},"modified":"2025-01-04T03:28:16","modified_gmt":"2025-01-04T03:28:16","slug":"breaking-ezekiel-elliott-put-on-notice-by-hall-of-famer-after-cowboys-release","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=16788","title":{"rendered":"BREAKING: Ezekiel Elliott Put on Notice by Hall of Famer After Cowboys Release.."},"content":{"rendered":"<div id=\"post-featured-container-id\">\n<div id=\"post-featured\" class=\"wp-caption \">\n<div class=\"h-responsive\">\n<figure class=\"h-responsive__inner\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" class=\"attachment-featured-image size-featured-image wp-post-image\" src=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Zeke-Jobless.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780\" sizes=\"auto, (max-width: 820px) 95vw, 780px\" srcset=\"https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Zeke-Jobless.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=780 780w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Zeke-Jobless.jpg?quality=15&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1100 1100w, https:\/\/heavy.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/01\/Zeke-Jobless.jpg?quality=65&amp;strip=all&amp;w=1350 1350w\" alt=\"Teams are not lining up to sign former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott.\" width=\"780\" height=\"439\" data-dom-ready-time=\"213\" data-img-load-time=\"479\" \/><\/figure>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"wp-caption-text\"><span class=\"caption-credit\">Heavy on Cowboys<\/span><\/p>\n<div class=\"c-post-image-caption-text\">Teams are not lining up to sign former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott.<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<p>The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0released\u00a0Ezekiel Elliott, with the former rushing leader hoping to land an opportunity with a playoff team.<\/p>\n<p>However, Shannon Sharpe doesn\u2019t see that happening, considering how Elliott\u2019s second stint with the Cowboys played out.<\/p>\n<p>Elliott rushed 74 times for 226 yards and three touchdowns and caught 12 passes for 69 yards. His yards per carry have been in a downward spiral for the last three seasons. Elliott averaged just 3.1 yards per carry this season and wasn\u2019t an efficient option for the Cowboys.<\/p>\n<p>Sharpe doesn\u2019t see a playoff-bound team jumping at the opportunity to sign the 29-year-old Elliott due to his lack of effectiveness.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWhat team in the playoffs need a running back averaging two yards a carry?\u201d\u00a0Sharpe said\u00a0on his \u201cNightcap\u201d show with Chad Johnson. \u201cHe\u2019s averaging three. Okay, tell me the team that\u2019s going to be in the playoffs that needs a running back averaging 3.1 yards a carry. By all intents and purposes, it\u2019s over. It\u2019s over.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Elliott did evolve into a strong option as a short-yardage back in recent years, but he hasn\u2019t been able to produce in those situations recently.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cAt one point in time, Ezekiel Elliott was a thoroughbred, he was a racehorse. Well, when he couldn\u2019t run anymore, you hooked him up to a plow and turned him into a plow horse. Now he can\u2019t even plow anymore,\u201d Sharpe said. \u201cYou put him out to pasture because pretty soon, we\u2019re going to have to turn his (expletive) into glue.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Ezekiel Elliott, Cowboys Parted on Good Terms<\/h2>\n<p>Elliott and the Cowboys had some tough moments this season, especially with his role dwindling following the emergence of Rico Dowdle. However, the sides\u00a0parted ways\u00a0on good terms, with the Cowboys willing to grant his release.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cOut of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible, we are releasing him from the Cowboys roster today,\u201d\u00a0Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said. \u201cAs I have said many times previously, Zeke\u2019s impact as one of the greatest to ever play with the Star on their helmet will never change and is etched in our record books and history forever. We thank him, love him and wish him the absolute best.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Cowboys coach Mike McCarthy echoed that sentiment from Jones.<\/p>\n<p>\u201cWith Zeke\u2019s success here [in the past], he\u2019s earned this opportunity at his request,\u201d\u00a0said McCarthy. \u201c\u2026 It was a conversation, and he asked for an opportunity to move forward and I think that\u2019s clearly what\u2019s in front of him.\u201d<\/p>\n<hr \/>\n<h2>Cowboys RB Rico Dowdle Set to Become Free Agent<\/h2>\n<p>The Elliott reunion didn\u2019t pan out for the Cowboys, but luckily, Dowdle emerged as a viable lead back. He has 1,007 yards with one game remaining and has averaged a solid 4.7 yards per carry.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s good timing for Dowdle, who will be a free agent this offseason. He returned to the Cowboys on a one-year deal but has likely earned himself a significant bump in pay. Dallas will look to retain Dowdle and could look to add a back in the draft, potentially with their first-round pick.<\/p>\n<p>The Cowboys could be in the range to add Heisman runner-up Ashton Jeanty or Arizona State star Cam Skattebo.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Heavy on Cowboys Teams are not lining up to sign former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott. The\u00a0Dallas Cowboys\u00a0released\u00a0Ezekiel Elliott, with the former rushing leader hoping to land an&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":16790,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[12,1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-16788","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-hot-news","category-nfl"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.8 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>BREAKING: Ezekiel Elliott Put on Notice by Hall of Famer After Cowboys Release.. - 24\/7 News America<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/usatoday.azontree.com\/?p=16788\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"BREAKING: Ezekiel Elliott Put on Notice by Hall of Famer After Cowboys Release.. - 24\/7 News America\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:description\" content=\"Heavy on Cowboys Teams are not lining up to sign former Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott. 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