NFL insider lays out timetable for former Cowboys star Ezekiel Elliott’s return - “Kinda interesting”

The Ezekiel Elliott to Dallas Cowboys reunion story will not go away. After being a designated post-June 1 cut, Elliott is a free agent, and as we begin mini camp and then training camp, Zeke is still without a team.

Many still harbor a belief that Elliott will return to the Cowboys. But the running back room is full and Zeke would need to take a substantial pay cut and play on around $2 million to $4 million APY.

With Dallas starting mini camp and Elliott not around, Cowboys COO Stephen Jones said that the door isn't fully closed on Zeke's potential return. Those words made NFL Network's Ian Rapoport's ear prick up and on The Pat McAfee Show, he stated that if Elliott was to sign with any team, it'll be Dallas.

“You’re probably looking at something around the start of training camp. The words of Stephen Jones and Cowboys officials yesterday where they had not ruled out a Zeke Elliott return was kinda interesting to me. You kinda wonder. He’s gonna take not a lot of money. Wouldn’t he rather be with the Cowboys? He’s obviously passed the torch to Tony Pollard who’s on the franchise tag. Zeke might be the pass-protecting RB I’ve seen in the last 10 years.”

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Could Ezekiel Elliott really return to the Cowboys?

At the time of writing, there is nothing concrete about the Elliott to Dallas rumors. There certainly isn't anything going on inside The Star regarding any movement, per sources.

Dallas' running back room consists of Tony Pollard, Ronald Jones, Malik Davis, Rico Dowdle, and Deuce Vaughn, all of whom could see snaps next season.

Now, none are the pass-blocking back that Ezekiel Elliott is, so for some, that is the main thread to pull at.

In reality, Elliott's best chance at landing a job on another NFL team is once training camp gets underway and a team suffers an injury. Then, Ezekiel Elliott will likely see his phone ringing off the hook.

Many hope that Zeke will be back in Frisco, but for now, it remains nothing more than hope.