Ezekiel Elliott’s second tour of duty with the Dallas Cowboys begins when camp opens in Oxnard in a few weeks.
Elliott, the Cowboys first round pick in 2016, is looking to regain his form from his first four years. He’ll be hoping he’s left his last four underwhelming seasons behind him.
Elliott will also have a few team and career milestones to aim for in 2024.
But first, he’ll need to show he can be the full-time starter and bell cow running back again.
He didn’t do that in 2022, which led to his departure to New England for the 2023 season. This time though, his competition is weaker.
In 2022, Tony Pollard had a 1,000 yard season for Dallas and had wrested the starting job away from Elliott.
Despite Pollard’s injury in the divisional round playoff loss, Elliott’s time in Dallas was done. Elliott’s bloated salary played a role in the decision.
Pollard had another 1,000 yard season in 2023, but like Elliott, his contract demands proved too much for Dallas to pay.
Pollard signed with Tennessee in the offseason. Elliott came back to Dallas on a one-year, $2 million deal.
The Cowboys are clearly hoping they get a resurgent Elliott.
So is Elliott.
He’s Not 30 — Yet
In a little more than two weeks Elliott will mark his 29th birthday. Not quite at the dreaded 30 mark that seems to put running backs into the geriatric category.
So there may still be some mileage left in his tank, or more accurately, his legs.
Through his first four seasons he seemed to be on track to threaten Emmitt Smith’s team and NFL records. As a rookie he piled up 1,631 yards and 15 touchdowns in 15 games.
The next year, despite Roger Goodell’s ridiculous PR-related six-game suspension, Elliott still got 983 yards and seven scores in 10 games.
In 2018 he had 1,434 yards and six scores in 15 games then added 1,357 yards and 12 touchdowns in 16 games in 2019.
He was rewarded with a massive $90 million contract extension prior to the 2019 season. Apparently with good reason based on the season he had that fall.
In 2020 thought he only had 979 yards and six scored in 15 games.
Some of that was due to Dak Prescott playing only five games that year. Andy Dalton wasn’t a threat and teams could focus on stopping Elliott instead.
But Elliott’s production didn’t return the following two years.
He had 1,002 yards and 10 touchdowns in 2021 and only 876 yards and 12 touchdowns in in 2022.
In 2023, with New England, he had five starts and finished with 642 yards and just three touchdowns.
Milestones In Sight
The first item on the agenda is showing he can produce – and continue to do so as the main ball carrier over an entire season.
Assuming he can, here’s what he’s aiming for: In the short term, he wants to be a part of a team that makes a deep playoff run for the first time.
As his numbers stand now, he’ll probably need a Super Bowl appearance at least to be considered a Hall of Fame running back.
As the 2024 season nears, Elliott ranks 40th in career rushing yards in the NFL with 8,904 yards in eight seasons.
He’s not even the NFL’s leading rusher among active players. He’s second to Derrick Henry (9,502 yards) – who was a second round pick in 2016.
Elliott needs 301 yards to pass Ahman Green for 39th, 503 yards to pass Earl Campbell for 38th, and 549 yards to get past Shaun Alexander for 37th.
It would take 1,096 yards this year for Elliott to reach 10,000 yards and move past Clinton Portis for 32nd – assuming Henry doesn’t keep pace.
As far as the Cowboys’ all-time rushing records go, Elliott already ranks third in rushing. He has 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns as a Cowboy.
He needs just five touchdowns to move beyond Tony Dorsett in rushing touchdowns. But he trails Dorsett by 3,774 yards for second all-time in Dallas.
As for catching Emmitt Smith – who has 17,162 yards and 153 touchdowns in a Dallas uniform – that seems highly unlikely.
And don’t even bother discussing Smith’s career numbers of 18,355 yards and 164 touchdowns.
For now, Elliott is just hoping for an NFL-version of a triumphant return from Elba, without the eventual fall at Waterloo.
So are the Dallas Cowboys and their fans.
