Ezekiel Elliott Released: Cowboys’ Mike McCarthy Reveals Why Veteran RB’s Return Fell Through

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The Dallas Cowboys and three-time Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott underwent their second divorce in as many seasons when they granted his release Tuesday. Elliott asked to be let go in an effort to potentially sign with a playoff team.

Head coach Mike McCarthy gave a plain and simple answer as to why Elliott’s second tenure in Dallas didn’t pan out: Rico Dowdle. Dowdle became the first undrafted player in team history to rush for 1,000 yards. Since Week 11, when the team ditched it’s running back-by-committee approach and anointed Dowdle as the clear-cut lead back, he totaled 633 yards. That is the fifth-most in the NFL in that span. Elliott totaled career lows in carries (74), rushing yards (226), rushing touchdowns (3), yards per carry (5.1) and rushing yards per game (15.1).

“It was a conversation that he asked for the opportunity to move forward,” McCarthy said on a conference call Wednesday. “I think that’s clearly what’s in front of him. We started this journey at the running back position looking to potentially be a running back-by-committee, and Rico [Dowdle] clearly took the lead position and he’s ended up having a pretty productive year.”

Dallas honored Elliott’s request for a release prior to Week 18 because of his early-career success. He led the NFL in rushing yards in two of his first three seasons (1,631 in 2016 and 1,434 in 2018). However, Elliott’s rushing yards per game average has declined in all nine years of his NFL career.

“Really I think Jerry [Jones] said it best, Zeke’s success here, and he felt like he earned this opportunity upon his request,” McCarthy said. “I think like anything in this game, you have competition. Obviously, Zeke had great years here, and he will always be part of the Cowboys’ history, but we went into the season having these guys compete and Rico became the No. 1 back.”

In Week 18 against the Washington Commanders, four-time Pro Bowl running back Dalvin Cook and 2023 sixth-round pick Deuce Vaughn will compete for No. 2 running back reps behind Dowdle. Cook has only been active for two games this season: Week 7 at the San Francisco 49ers and Week 8 at the Atlanta Falcons. He’s totaled 20 yards rushing on eight carries and one catch for 10 yards this season. Vaughn, who is listed at 5-foot-6 while weighing 176 pounds, has produced 33 yards rushing on 11 carries and 18 yards receiving on three catches.

“I can’t say enough about Dalvin as a professional because he’s been ready to play each week,” McCarthy said. “There’s been numerous weeks where there was an effort to get Deuce up, and it just didn’t work out numbers wise. So they’ve both been practicing very well, and so I feel very good about those guys.”