Cowboys QB Dak Prescott Breaks Silence on Ezekiel Elliott Signing

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Cowboys QB Dak Prescott is excited to have Ezekiel Elliott back in Dallas.

Dallas Cowboys quarterback Dak Prescott is excited about reuniting with running back Ezekiel Elliott.

Elliott officially re-joined the Cowboys on April 29 after a year away. Dallas cut Elliott in 2023 to save cap space and the former rushing leader went on to sign with the New England Patriots.

Elliott rushed for 642 yards on 184 carries — a 3.5-yards per carry average — with the Patriots. He also added 51 receptions for 313 yards. Elliott led New England in both rushing yards and receptions.

Elliott, who will soon turn 29, has some tread left on his tires. Prescott sees him as a key addition not only for his production but also for his leadership value in the locker room.

“I’m super excited. I understand what he brings to the team, just in the locker room with the culture he sets,” Prescott told Jon Machota of The Athletic on Wednesday, May 1. “He’s a guy who does everything the right way, from the locker room to the field. He’s a great guy, with us having a young team, that people can follow and watch. I’m excited for him to be back. I know the threat that he’ll provide — big-time playmaker. Obviously, I’m real excited.”

Ezekiel Elliott Has ‘Unfinished Business’ With Cowboys

As it stands, Elliott will likely be the starter but the team will take a committee approach to the run game. Dallas re-signed backup Rico Dowdle and added veteran Royce Freeman. Former sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn, Malik Davis, and Hunter Luepke will compete for roles within the RB committee.

The breakup with Elliott wasn’t an easy decision last season for the Cowboys. Elliott was a fan favorite and the third-leading rusher in franchise history. He was eager to come back to help the Cowboys win a Super Bowl.

“I got unfinished business. I’m here to chase that ring,” Elliott said on Wednesday, May 1.

Elliott will wear No. 15 next season, which he wore in New England and at Ohio State. He previously wore No. 21 with the Cowboys.

Cowboys Say They’re ‘All In’ on this Season

The Cowboys have won 12 games in three consecutive seasons. However, postseason success has eluded the team. Dallas has won just one playoff game since 2018.

“I thought we made a pretty good move four years ago when we hired Mike McCarthy, and he’s had some great in-season success,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said in January. “Now he’s come up short three times and advanced us in the playoff. But I like that fact that’s he’s hanging around the rim, and I like what the team has done to hang around the rim. So, I think, what the answer that I would have is, that I’m aware that we’re hanging around the rim. We’re not getting the ball in but when you hang around the rim – let’s don’t discount hanging around the rim – where we are right now with the players we’ve got, and I’m thinking about it from the whole look.”

Jones and the Cowboys have said they’re “all in” on this season, although some would dispute that considering their offseason moves. Elliott is a great feel-good story but not an “all-in” type move. Signing 32-year-old linebacker Eric Kendricks and watching multiple key pieces depart in free agency didn’t help either.

“Your definition of what is ‘all-in’ and mine might not be the same thing,” Jones said during the combine. “I’m trying to win the games this year with my decision. So I’m all-in to this year.”

The Cowboys win total for next year is set at 10.5 games. Only the Baltimore Ravens, San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs have higher totals.

J.R. DeGroote covers the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Lakers for Heavy.com. He covered local and statewide sports as a reporter for West Hawaii Today and has decades of experience in digital media with previous stops at SB Nation and Bleacher Report. He has won multiple state, regional and national honors for sports reporting and photography. More about J.R. DeGroote