Patriots schedule: Will Ezekiel Elliott face the Cowboys in 2023?

Longtime Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott is signing with the Patriots, but will the running back have a rematch with his former team on the schedule?

For the first time in his NFL career, Ezekiel Elliott won’t be suiting up for the Dallas Cowboys. On Monday, the veteran running back and former Top 5 draft pick inked a one-year deal with the New England Patriots after a successful visit to Foxboro.

The fit with the Patriots had long been rumored and, on paper, made sense. Elliott, who was cut by the Cowboys this offseason after underperforming as an every-down back in the past couple of years, still has value as an elite pass-blocker and short-yardage back. Subsequently, pairing him with Rhamondre Stevenson in New England was a natural fit.

However, with the exit from Dallas, fans are now curious if the veteran running back will have his opportunity to exact revenge. Namely, are the Cowboys on the Patriots schedule to set up the Ezekiel Elliott rematch?

Patriots schedule: Does Ezekiel Elliott face the Cowboys in 2023?

Anyone hoping to see the revenge game is in luck as the Patriots schedule features a Week 4 trip to Dallas to face the Cowboys on there. The game is set for Sunday, Oct. 1 with a 4:25 p.m. ET kickoff on FOX.

Even though all indications are that Zeke and the Cowboys parted ways on good terms, there still is the chance that Elliott digs deep into the tank and tries to make Dallas pay for letting him loose. Of course, given that he averaged only 3.8 yards per carry last season and had fewer rushing yards than his replacement, Tony Pollard, despite garnering 38 more carries, that may be somewhat of a pipe dream.

In any case, with two brands like the Patriots and Cowboys, the Week 4 matchup was always going to draw the attention of NFL fans. But with this added wrinkle, we’ll be sure to have our popcorn ready for that game.