New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott is going to find himself in somewhat of an awkward position heading to Big D on Sunday.
Elliott starred for the Dallas Cowboys over the first seven seasons of his NFL career. He’ll go down as one of the greatest offensive players in the history of the franchise.
But once Sunday come calling, Zeke will be a visitor in Dallas for the first time in his carer. He’ll be in the visiting locker room and on the opposing sideline for Sunday’s game.
Elliott spoke with the Dallas media ahead of his new Patriots team taking on the Cowboys in Week 4. One of the topics of conversations is just how much talk there was behind the scenes about re-signing with Dallas after the organization released him during the spring.
“He (Jones) told me what was going on, that it’s not something he wanted to do but it was just part of business. There was minimum talks about coming back,” Elliott on conversations with Cowboys owner Jerry Jones.
Jones had mentioned multiple times following Elliott’s release that the door was open for him coming back for an eighth season in Dallas. The move came due to Zeke’s bloated six-year, $90 million contract and the fact that Tony Pollard had emerged into a Pro Bowler the previous season. It didn’t create animosity between the sides.
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Ezekiel Elliott looking forward to return to Dallas
“I’m looking forward to coming back and reuniting with the fans. Even though I’ll be in a different uniform, I think it will be a good experience,” Elliott told reporters.
The three-time Pro Bowler enjoyed some tremendous success out of the gate in Dallas after they made him the No. 4 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft out of Ohio State. He led the NFL in rush attempts (322) and rushing yards (1,631) en route to finishing third in the NFL MVP voting as a rookie.
Over the course of Elliott’s first three seasons in Dallas, he recorded north of 7,000 total yards and 48 touchdowns. That signified the best three-year stretch for a back in franchise history, besting the likes of all-time greats such as Tony Dorsett and Emmitt Smith.
While Elliott promises to keep it “even-keeled” during his return to the Cowboys, his former teammates know this is a big deal of sorts.
“I feel like Zeke’s coming for me. He used to tell me, ‘You’re lucky I’m not out there. I’d really get you.’ If there’s ever a matchup, I’m gonna be looking forward to it, for sure. You know Zeke, everything is gonna be funny to him,” Cowboys star Micah Parsons on facing Ezekiel Elliott. “We miss his presence, the joy he brings to the locker room. It’s gonna be fun going against him.”
The Dallas Cowboys are expected to honor Elliott in some way Sunday as the Patriots head to Dallas for what is a big game for both teams.