The Dallas Cowboys have defied the old adage of never going back after swooping to re-sign Ezekiel Elliott just one year after his release from his big-money contract. The running back will reunite with quarterback Dak Prescott for a second spell with the NFC East outfit after general manager Jerry Jones confirmed the move on Thursday.
The move has taken pundits and fans by surprise in equal measure after the Cowboys passed up the chance to sign a new RB in the 2024 NFL Draft, with Jones later revealing they were in talks with the 28-year-old over a shock return.
He will join Rico Dowdle, Deuce Vaughn and Royce Freeman in competing for the starting spot under Mike McCarthy. Terms have been agreed, although the figures in his new contract have not yet been publicly released.
There are conflicting reports on the exact amount of Elliott’s personal fortune. According to Wealthy Gorilla, his net worth is $25million as of April 2024, but Celebrity Net Worth quote a figure as high as $35m.
He was drafted by the Cowboys as the fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft and signed a contract worth $24.9million, with a $16.3m signing bonus. He then penned a six-year contract worth $90m in September 2020, with the Cowboys offering a guaranteed $50m salary and a $7m signing bonus.
But only two years into his contract, he was released by the Cowboys, and he took a massive pay cut when joining the New England Patriots, going from a guaranteed $12m salary to just $3m.
What happened to Ezekiel Elliott?
Elliott was a star figure when playing college football at Ohio State, where he earned second-team All-America honors in 2015.
He also finished his rookie year as the NFL’s top rusher with a total of 1,631 yards, the third most by a player in their first season, and would become a key player on their roster before deciding to leave in 2023 for the Patriots.
His deal with the Patriots represented a huge haircut on his Cowboys salary, with a maximum base salary of $6m plus performance-related bonuses. But it’s fair to say he fell short, with only 642 receiving yards and three touchdowns for the entire 2023 campaign.
Now, back in familiar surroundings in Dallas, he will be hoping to revitalize his career after a mixed spell in New England.