It seems that the Dallas Cowboys’ decision to release team great Ezekiel Elliott was as much about avoiding hurt feelings, as it was a beneficial move for their 2023 finances.
Heading into the offseason, there was always a strong chance that Ezekiel Elliott’s seven-year tenure with the only NFL franchise he has ever played for was going to end. That is just the nature of the league and trying to maintain a winning team within the parameters of the team salary structure.
Despite rumors he could maybe take a pay cut and stick around, the team eventually pulled the trigger and released him before the official start of NFL free agency. The move made a great deal of sense for the team because the team was able to recoup over $10 million of the $16 million he was set to make in 2023.
Related: Ezekiel Elliotts failed free agency tour could lead him back to Dallas Cowboys
The assumption for many NFL observers was that the Dallas Cowboys cut the three-time Pro Bowler because he was uninterested in taking the pay cut many other players around the league receive to stay with their current teams. However, it seems that those conversations never happened out of fear of “insulting” the 27-year-old.
Dallas Cowboys record (2022): 12-5, second place in NFC East
Earlier this week at the annual NFL Owner Meetings, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones spoke on the decision to cut Ezekiel Elliott and explained that it was a choice made so that he could find out about his declining value on the open market, instead of in a reduced salary request from his long-time employer.
“The last thing we want to do is do anything that would be insulting to a player, to a great player, like Zeke, who was one of the best players to ever put on a Cowboys uniform. There are sensitivities when you get into making offers. Sometimes the best thing is to let them get a feel for what the market is. When you’re talking about great players — and that’s what makes them great: They think a lot, not in a selfish way, but they perceive themselves as a great player and they are. It just becomes, how do you make the business work? It always boils down to that, unfortunately.”
– Stephen Jones (h/t Yahoo Sports)
It seems that the Dallas Cowboys strategy was correct as Elliott has had difficulty landing the salary he is looking for in NFL free agency, and it has opened the door to the possibility of a return to Dallas next season.