The New England Patriots have added three-time Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott to the mix with the NFL regular season less than a month away.
According to NFL Media’s Ian Rapoport, Elliott has inked a one-year deal with New England that could pay him up to $6 million. The former Dallas Cowboys star will also rock his No. 15 dating back to Elliott’s days with Ohio State.
Elliott, 28, was released by Dallas this past spring after seven largely successful seasons in Big D. However, his production dropped off big time in 2022 with a youngster in Tony Pollard replacing Elliott as the Cowboys’ RB1.
- Ezekiel Elliott stats (2022): 876 rushing yards, 3.8 average, 968 total yards, 12 TD
Selected No. 4 overall back in 2016, Elliott jumped on to the scene by recording nearly 2,000 total yards en route to earning NFL Offensive Rookie of the Year honors.
Over the course of his first six seasons in Dallas, Elliott averaged north of 1,600 total yards and 11 touchdowns.
From the New England Patriots’ perspective, adding Elliott to the mix seemed to make sense. Rhamondre Stevenson is currently RB1. But there’s very little behind him on the depth chart.
Ty Montgomery, Pierre Strong and J.J. Taylor are currently battling it out for touches during the preseason. The three combined for 107 rushing yards a season ago.
With Mac Jones entering an important season as New England’s quarterback, adding more depth to the backfield was a necessity. Elliott can slide in as a short-yardage option immediately.