Ezekiel Elliott may have given Cowboys fans a huge hint about Stephon Gilmore's future

The Dallas Cowboys had a dormant offseason. After fielding nine first- or second-team All-Pro players in 2023, the Cowboys made no attempt to retain their existing talent or add to it. Dallas did, however, welcome back one of its former stars.

Running back Ezekiel Elliott was the engine of the Cowboys offense since he was selected fourth overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. Elliott built his reputation as one of the best running backs in the league with the Cowboys, and his No. 21 Cowboys jersey was one of the most recognizable jerseys in the league. Elliott joined the New England Patriots last year after the ascension of Tony Pollard in Dallas.

During his seven season in Dallas, Elliott wore the No. 21. Elliott thrived throughout his rookie contract and was signed to a lucrative three-year extension, so the number remained claimed for many years. When Elliott left last season, it made room for newcomer Stephon Gilmore to claim No. 21 as his own.

Ezekiel Elliott's jersey number could hint at a return for Stephon Gilmore

In the twilight of his career, Elliott is returning to the same place where his career first began. However, he won't be donning his No. 21 jersey this time. Instead, Elliott will wear No. 15, the same jersey he wore in New England and Ohio State.

Two days ago, both Elliott and Gilmore were free agents. Elliott was coming off of a relatively quiet season in New England as part of the Patriots' running back committee, although he managed to flex his pass-catching abilities with 51 receptions for 313 yards, his highest totals since his 2020 season. The Cowboys welcomed him home with a one-year, $3 million contract on April 30.

Gilmore, however, remains a free agent. While there's no clarity on when and if Gilmore will re-sign with the Cowboys, there seems to be the expectation that Gilmore will stay, at least among his teammates. According to ESPN's Todd Archer, the Cowboys aren't just looking to make cap space available for Gilmore — the players in the locker room may be leaving the No. 21 available for Gilmore.

The veteran cornerback will be 34 years old in 2024, but he brought a veteran presence to the Cowboys as a key free agent addition last offseason. Gilmore had a productive season over the course of his one-year contract with the Cowboys in 2023, recording career highs in combined, solo and assisted tackles — he even started the most regular season games of his career in Dallas with 17 starts. Gilmore has quickly become an integral part of Dallas' top-notch defense, and his continued stay in free agency is enough to make Cowboys fans nervous.

The number has a special status for the Cowboys secondary: it belonged to Hall of Fame cornerback Deion Sanders, who wore the number for 14 of his 16 NFL seasons. Five of those seasons were spent in Dallas, where Sanders helped Dallas win a Super Bowl.

Gilmore established himself as one of the league's best cornerbacks with the Patriots, where he had a game-clinching interception against the Los Angeles Rams in Super Bowl LIII and won 2019 NFL Defensive Player of the Year.

Gilmore's season in Dallas marked his fifth stint with an NFL team as well as his fifth jersey number. Considering the success of his last season, he may want to stay in Dallas and stick with lucky No. 21.