During a press conference on the second day of the 2024 NFL draft in Detroit, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones expressed his team’s interest in bringing free agent running back Ezekiel Elliott back to Dallas.
Jones praised Elliott asserting his belief in Elliott’s ability to still perform as a starting running back in the NFL.
“As recent as the end of the year, I saw Zeke play and I’ll tell you, he’s good enough to be a starter,” Jones commented, as reported by Jon Machota of The Athletic.
RELATED: Jerry Jones Gets Extremely Confused With The Number 24 During NFL Draft Press Conference
The Cowboys had previously let their 2023 leading rusher, Tony Pollard, leave in free agency in March, and had a meeting with Elliott and his agent Rocky Arceneaux on Wednesday to discuss a potential return. Last season, Elliott signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots, where he played in all 17 games, starting five, and recorded 642 rushing yards and three touchdowns, along with 313 receiving yards and two additional touchdowns.
Currently, the Cowboys’ running back roster includes fifth-year veteran Rico Dowdle, 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn, and veterans Royce Freeman and Malik Davis. The team has yet to pick a running back in the draft but Jones hinted that they might still address this position with one of their remaining four selections.
Jones mentioned, “First of all, the draft’s not over and that’s a thought. And it was a long time before a running back was taken in today’s draft. But we also are keenly interested in seeing what the future might look like with Zeke.”
Elliott, who spent his first seven seasons with the Cowboys, has amassed 8,262 rushing yards, placing him third on the franchise’s all-time rushing list behind Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.
