It took a while for Ezekiel Elliott to find a team in NFL free agency, but the 28-year-old running back has landed in a good spot with the New England Patriots.
The Patriots reportedly plan to sign Elliott to a one-year contract worth up to $6 million. This move adds much-needed veteran depth to a running back group that lacked experience behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson.
Elliott was released by the Dallas Cowboys in March after spending seven seasons with the franchise. He was the No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and consistently ranked among the league's top 10 running backs while playing for the Cowboys.
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Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy thinks the Patriots are a good fit for Elliott's skill set.
“I’m very excited for Zeke, a great opportunity,” McCarthy said Tuesday, per Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News. “He’ll do great up there." When asked about facing Elliott in the upcoming Week 4 matchup between the Cowboys and Patriots in Dallas, McCarthy joked, "I’m not looking forward to it."
The Patriots have played just two road games against the Cowboys since 1996, and they won those meetings by a combined score of 78-33.
Elliott is expected to be used in goal line and short yardage situations with the Patriots under new offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien. Despite his yardage totals slipping in 2022 as he shared carries with Tony Pollard, Elliott was still very effective in the red zone, which is where he racked up a lot of his 12 rushing touchdowns for Dallas.
Former Patriots running back James White revealed Tuesday on SiriusXM NFL Radio that New England head coach Bill Belichick has always had an affinity for Elliott.
"I know Bill Belichick has talked about some of the best backs in the league and I know he's a big fan of Zeke," White said. "Whenever we would compete against those guys, he would always talk about how much he wanted to have him on his roster."
