Is Ezekiel Elliott worth the trouble for Bill Belichick? Ex-Cowboys RB’s past shenanigans explored

Ezekiel Elliott confirmed that he will join the New England Patriots on a one-year deal by posting on Twitter:

“One Five, all the way live! @Patriots”

The number 15 refers to his jersey at Ohio State. He seems to be indicating his intention of turning back time’s hands in helping the Patriots’ cause. Doing so could help the Patriots emerge victorious in the grueling AFC East.

But as he suits up with the Patriots, he will play under a staunch disciplinarian in Bill Belichick. The long-time New England head coach is known for keeping his players upright while penalizing those who deserve it. Therefore, Elliott repeating his previous controversies won’t sit well with the six-time Super Bowl winner.

Ezekiel Elliott’s list of controversies

In May 2021, Ezekiel Elliott was cited after the authorities confirmed that one of his dogs bit two people in his Starwood neighborhood. He was given three citations, one for each of his loose dogs.

However, the Rottweiler that bit two people was placed in a 10-day quarantine after the incident. Meanwhile, the injuries incurred by the individuals were non-life-threatening.

But the more significant issue he faced was the domestic violence accusations by his ex-girlfriend. The incidents allegedly happened five times in 2016, but he was never criminally charged.

Still, the NFL conducted a year-long investigation regarding the allegations against Ezekiel Elliott. As a result, the league suspended him for the first six games of the 2017 season for violating its personal conduct policy.

Days later, the then-Dallas Cowboys running back announced that he would appeal the suspension. He was still on the hook after a league-appointed arbitrator upheld the six-game suspension. But Elliott did not give up, as the NFL Players Association helped him acquire a request for an injunction from a federal judge.

The indefinite hold on his suspension allowed Elliott to play the first two games of the 2017 season. After this, the Fifth Circuit U.S. Court of Appeals upheld his six-game suspension. But he got an assist via a temporary restraining order, preventing him from serving his suspension starting Week 3.

Therefore, Elliott suited up for the Cowboys starting Week 7, finishing with 147 yards and two touchdowns. He then accepted his suspension after his preliminary injunction request was denied, and the U.S. Court of Appeals Second Circuit upheld his suspension.

Despite playing just ten games, Elliott finished the 2017 season with 983 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. He played with the Cowboys for five more seasons before he got released on March 2023.

Ezekiel Elliott is a boost but not a savior for the Patriots’ offense

Decreased production and a high cap hit led the Cowboys to release Ezekiel Elliott during the 2023 off-season. In some ways, his fate snowballed into the devaluation of the running back position.

After his release, Saquon Barkley will play on a one-year deal, and Josh Jacobs is contemplating holding out for the whole season. Jonathan Taylor’s relationship with the Indianapolis Colts worsened.

But while Elliott can earn up to $10 million from his one-year contract with New England, he does not address their primary concern. Their defense can help them win games, but their passing game could use a legitimate breakout threat that Mac Jones can constantly target downfield.

Adding Elliott boosts the Patriots backfield, which already has Rhamondre Stevenson, a 1,000-yard rusher last season. But in the AFC East, having a potent run game alone won’t help.

New England must match the firepower of the Buffalo Bills, Miami Dolphins, and New York Jets to sneak into the playoffs. Signing DeAndre Hopkins could have addressed that concern, but he chose to play for the Tennessee Titans.

His decision leaves the Patriots with JuJu Smith-Schuster, DeVante Parker, and Kendrick Bourne as their primary receivers. While those three players have enjoyed modest success, opponents are better off stacking the box to contain Ezekiel Elliott and Rhamondre Stevenson.