When news came out that the Cowboys put the franchise tag on Tony Pollard last month, it was a strong signal that one of the biggest rumors in the metroplex was about to become a fact. Despite being willing to rework his massive contract, the Cowboys parted ways with Ezekiel Elliott this afternoon.
The move had to do with the money the Cowboys were paying for their number 1 (or number 2?) running back. Zeke still had 4 more years left on his contract, but if the Cowboys walked away from the deal, they’d save $10.09 million dollars they can use to pay for upgrades at other positions.
The Cowboys Twitter dropped the following Tweet today:
Jerry released the following statement on the move this afternoon:
“Zeke’s impact and influence is seared into the Cowboys franchise in a very special and indelible way. He has been a consummate professional and leader that set a tone in our locker room, on the practice field and in the huddle. Zeke defined what a great teammate should be, and anyone that has ever played a team sport would be lucky to have a teammate like Zeke and be much better for it. His commitment and passion for winning is selfless, and the accountability he brings everyday earned the respect of our coaches, his teammates and our entire organization. He wore the Cowboys Star with pride and purpose every single time he put it on, and we’re a better franchise because of the example he set for veterans and rookies alike. That carried over into our community as well, with Zeke’s generosity and spirit about giving and caring for others.”
There is no doubt that Zeke was one of the more popular Cowboys since he was signed 4th overall in 2017 out of Ohio State. We wish Zeke well in his next move! Hopefully it’s not playing for another team within the division. It would be awkward to see how the Deathstar would react to his returning to the field.
