Ezekiel Elliott being praised as an important piece of a team in 2024? Only Jerry Jones could do it.

The Dallas Cowboys made some rather interesting moves during the 2024 free agency. While owner and general manager Jerry Jones assured the fans that his franchise was all-in about winning, the Cowboys didn’t have much action around the market. But they did return a familiar face, to the amusement of fans and analysts.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott returned to the fold after a season with the New England Patriots. The Cowboys released Elliott in the 2023 offseason, and Tony Pollard left in March as a free agent. Zeke’s comeback after such a long time, and well past his prime, had fans wondering what was the all-in strategy all about.

There were better options hanging around the running back market in free agency, namely Derrick Henry, who left the Tennessee Titans. But when asked about why the team didn’t pursue the superstar running back, Jones used the opportunity to praise Zeke’s ability:

First of all, we might have a little difference as to what we were lacking the most. It’s very common, matter of fact the rule, that when you look at a coming season, you’ve got some soft spots in a football team. So it’s a question of the areas that need the most attention. And candidly, I thought in Zeke, we really had an opportunity. I know how badly he wanted to get back with the Cowboys – personally, I thought that his work in New England was better than maybe a lot of other people evaluated it. I thought he did carry the mail in some critical times for them. I have more belief that Zeke gives us what we need in short yardage than maybe a lot of fans.

Does Ezekiel Elliott have anything left in the tank?

It’s unlikely that he’ll be anything more than a role player in his return. He simply doesn’t have the same explosiveness or the same agility from the start of his NFL career. His decline has been massive, and his year with the Patriots wasn’t really great.

Zeke was the fourth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft by the Cowboys, and he had some excellent years with the team. But it’s clear that, at this point, his ability has diminished.