Can Ezekiel Elliott pick up where he left off with the Dallas Cowboys? He himself and quarterback Dak Prescott seem to be convinced.

Ezekiel Elliott is back at his old place of work. For the 28-year-old, returning to the Dallas Cowboys is a great opportunity to finish unfinished business.

“I’m here to chase a ring,” Elliott said at a Dallas Cowboys public event. “It was just important to get back here and finish what I started.” He signed a one-year, $3 million max deal in Dallas.

“At the end of the day, I’m a football player. I love this game,” Elliott said. “I think I’m still a dominant type of player. I have to go out there and prove that. That’s my motivation. I think we all know how I feel when I’m in games and giving it my all for my teammates. “

For Prescott, Elliott is “like a brother “

Quarterback Dax Prescott is happy to be reunited with a longtime teammate. “I’m super excited,” he said.

“He’s like a brother from my experience, but now he’s a teammate more than anything. He can bring a lot to the team – just in the dressing room because of the culture he shapes. He’s someone who does everything right. He’s a guy that the teammates can watch and follow. And I know what a special threat he is. He’s a big-time threat.”

Prescott praised Elliott even further, “He’s honest. With him, you know what you’re going to get. He can have fun, but when it’s time to be serious and get involved, there’s nobody better than him.” The pass-rusher is convinced Elliott will be “a huge success for this team.”

Picked No. 4 overall in the 2017 NFL Draft

Elliott and Prescott have a shared history and close connection. Both were picked by the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft. Elliott was a celebrated star in college football with the Ohio State Buckeyes and was therefore selected in the first round at number four. Prescott, who had played for the Mississippi State Bulldogs, was underrated and was still available in the fourth round at No. 135.

Together, Prescott and Elliott, who also became friends in their private lives, developed into the NFL’s up-and-coming top duo. Prescott was the Cowboys’ starting quarterback from the beginning because the previous passer, Tony Romo, was injured in the preseason. Dallas played a strong season with 13 wins and only three losses and made the playoffs.

While Prescott’s career continued to soar, Elliott experienced some setbacks in the years that followed. In 2017, he was suspended by the NFL for six regular-season games due to a domestic violence allegation. After playing a strong season in 2018, he was initially unable to agree a contract with the Cowboys in 2019 and went on strike before signing a six-year contract worth 90 million US dollars.

However, his performance no longer justified the top salary and he was released by the Cowboys in March 2023. Elliott then signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots, who had a disappointing season as a team. Elliott totaled 955 yards rushing and five touchdowns.

Different jersey number, different era

Elliott will now have a different jersey number than he previously wore with the Cowboys. While he wore No. 21 in his first seven seasons in Dallas, he now plans to wear No. 15, which he wore at Ohio State and also last year with the Patriots. “I just look at it as a different era,” Elliott said of the number change.

The number 15 will be worn by backup quarterback Trey Lance. However, he has already agreed to drop this number and wear number 19 instead.

In Dallas, Elliott will presumably take on a leadership role immediately, as his fellow position players Royce Freeman, Rico Dowdle and Deuce Vaughn have not yet proven that they can function in the NFL on a permanent basis. Not at all like Elliott.