Ezekiel Elliott’s reason for returning to Cowboys doesn’t match Jerry Jones offseason

The Dallas Cowboys finally addressed the running back position by bringing back a familiar face, Ezekiel Elliott, on a one-year deal. If this was five or six years ago when Elliott was running wild for Dallas this would be a move to be over the moon about, but in 2024, Elliott is nothing more than just a big name and a jersey seller.

The 28-year-old had a bigger role than expected for the New England Patriots last season but didn't do much to take advantage of it, rushing for 642 yards and three touchdowns while averaging just 3.5 yards per carry. Tony Pollard had a disappointing year as Dallas' starter, but he did at least average 4.0 yards per carry.

It would've made sense for Elliott to prioritize a return to a Dallas organization that had just released him not long ago so he could get touches with Pollard out of the picture and in Tennessee, but that's not the reason he gave for choosing Dallas. His reasoning does not line up with Jerry Jones' offseason whatsoever.

Cowboys have work to do to get Ezekiel Elliott what he wants

At the Cowboys 11th annual home run derby on Wednesday, Elliott said his return to Dallas had nothing to do with playing time. It had everything to do with unfinished business.

"I’m here to chase a ring."

Elliott chose the Cowboys because he wants to win. He made the playoffs four times in his seven seasons with the Cowboys, appearing in six playoff games, but the Cowboys never made it to a NFC Championship game, let alone won a Super Bowl. They haven't made a NFC Championship Game appearance since they last won the Super Bowl in 1995.

While the Cowboys haven't won the big game in nearly 30 years, they are a team that has consistently made the playoffs in recent years. They have some of the game's best players like Micah Parsons, CeeDee Lamb, and Dak Prescott, so there's reason to believe that they can win, but with how this past offseason went, who knows?

On paper, this Cowboys team looks worse than the one that was embarrassed on their home field by the No. 7-seeded Green Bay Packers. They lost key pieces like Pollard and Tyron Smith, and could also lose Stephon Gillmore who remains a free agent.

The Cowboys did sign Eric Kendricks, but it's hard to picture this team being better with that being their biggest move. Perhaps Dallas can shock the world and finally go on a big run, but with Elliott as their RB1 and the loss of their star left tackle, they're objectively worse on that side of the ball.

It's nice to hear a player as passionate as Elliott is about winning, but the choice to join this team that has done nothing to make itself better is a strange one if winning is truly his No. 1 priority.