Ezekiel Elliott on Cowboys ‘minimum’ contract negotiations after RB’s release from franchise - “Business is business”

In March of this year, Ezekiel Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys despite still having a monstrous six-year contract.

The decision came down to a handful of reasons. First, ever since his last Pro Bowl appearance in 2019, he had statistically regressed, being outshone by Tony Pollard. Second, his massive contract was getting harder to justify as a result of said regression.

But even after his release, Elliott held out hope that the Cowboys would bring him back on a less lucrative, but more sustainable contract. In a media scrum on Wednesday, he said (via The Athletic):

“Business is business. … Anyone who gets released or gets cut, it’s going to be tough mentally. But life is life. It is what it is. It was on me to get back on the horse. You can’t let negatives weigh you down. You gotta take a negative and turn it into a positive. And that’s what I’m working to do.”

After being released, the two-time rushing champion lay low before joining the New England Patriots.

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Ezekiel Elliott discusses Sunday's "homecoming"

Speaking of the Patriots, no game with his current team will probably be as poignant for Ezekiel Elliott as this Sunday's (October 1) visit to Arlington. He told Sports Illustrated:

“It’s going to be fun. I’m excited to go back to Dallas, a place where I have so much history ... my home in the offseason. It will be cool to get back in AT&T Stadium.”

Even without him, the Dallas Cowboys remain a top team in the NFC, thanks to the likes of his friend Dak Prescott, who has a bevy of offensive weapons like Pollard and CeeDee Lamb. But as his "homecoming" looms, Elliott is putting sentimentality behind him to help his current team.

"There are emotions. I may do a good job of hiding them, but there will be some emotions. But I've got to go out there and help my team win that football game," Ezekiel Elliott added.

That does not mean he is snubbing his old fanbase:

"I don't know what I'm necessarily expecting. It's definitely going to be weird, just being in a different uniform, being in the visiting locker room. But I think it will be a good experience just kind of seeing the fans again."

The Cowboys-Patriots game will be held on Sunday afternoon, with kickoff at 4:25 pm ET.