The 2023 NFL calendar year is now in its second month, and Ezekiel Elliott remains unsigned after being released from the Dallas Cowboys back on March 15.
Are teams shying away from the 27-year-old back? Or does he have new potential suitors following the NFL Draft, especially for teams that still need to address the backfield? Here are the latest rumblings involving the three-time Pro Bowler.
Ezekiel Elliott Rumors Involve Possible Reunion With Former Assistant
Elliott, even with four 1,000-yard campaigns, wasn’t in high demand the moment he was let go by Dallas. Notable teams needing backfield help like the New Orleans Saints, Philadelphia Eagles, Los Angeles Rams, Atlanta Falcons, and the Detroit Lions addressed their running back needs via free agency or the draft — ultimately passing on Elliott.
However, one team projected to tackle their backfield room in the draft but didn’t was the Los Angeles Chargers, who happen to have Elliott’s former offensive coordinator now in Kellen Moore. The Chargers, once projected to be interested in Bijan Robinson and Zach Charbonnet pre-draft, didn’t select a single RB.
Furthermore, Austin Ekeler remains on the roster amid trade demands. Those elements got Fantasy Alarm NFL analyst Andrew Cooper believing on Tuesday that Elliott is a late fit there.
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“The Los Angeles Chargers, they have Austin Ekeler for pass downs. They’ve been trying to find guys to be the big goal-line type back. They tried Larry Rountree and Joshua Kelley — it hasn’t worked out.
“The reason they lost to the Jaguars last year is they could not run it whenever they knew they needed to run it,” Cooper continued. “If they just had someone who could get them the first down whenever they know they could run it, they probably could’ve won. I think for Zeke Elliott, that’s a perfect landing spot for him.”
It also gets Elliott to reunite with the offensive coordinator who helped the former fourth overall pick of 2016 to earn his last two 1,000-yard seasons in 2019 (1,357 yards) and 2021 (1,002). Those were also the seasons Elliott surpassed the double-digit mark in rushing touchdowns with 12 and 10, respectively.
Last season, even with splitting the carries with Tony Pollard, Elliott still crossed the end zone with 12 TDs. The Chargers present one of the best remaining opportunities for Zeke to continue his career. However, there’s growing potential for another reunion…
Possible Return to Dallas Still in the Air?
Even the Cowboys sounded like they weren’t completely ruling out Elliott returning.
Following the drafting of Deuce Vaughn out of Kansas State at 212th overall, owner Jerry Jones addressed the possibility of Elliott returning to Dallas.
“Ship has not sailed,” Jones said to reporters. “We haven’t made a decision. We’ve obviously drafted a running back — a little different style than Zeke — but it doesn’t change. … For us, as far as our interest in Zeke, nothing we did today changes that.”
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However, longtime Cowboys insider Clarence Hill Jr. of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram revealed where things stand there on Wednesday.
“Per a league source, Elliott has a couple of options he’s planning to pursue post-draft, and a return to the Cowboys is unlikely,” Hill reported.
The part about Elliott having options, though, is the most telling. Especially with the Chargers being one of the few teams post-draft still considered to be in need of RB help for 2023.