Ezekiel Elliott willing to take pay cut to remain with Dallas Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys Pro Bowl running back Ezekiel Elliott is coming off a career-worst season that saw him fail to hit the 1,000-total yard plateau for the first time in his career.

Elliott’s performance late in the regular season and in the playoffs was especially concerning. In two postseason games, the three-time Pro Bowler tallied 53 rushing yards on 23 attempts.

Even before these struggles, reports suggested that the 2022 season would be Elliott’s last with the Cowboys. They have a young running back in Tony Pollard who outperformed Elliott. Finances play a role here, too.

One day after their loss to the San Francisco 49ers in the NFL Divisional Playoffs, and there’s new information on Elliott’s status in Big D moving forward.

Michael Gehlken of The Dallas Morning News reported Monday that Elliott is willing to accept a pay cut in order to remain with the Cowboys. The former first-round pick also told reporters after Sunday’s loss that he wants to keep his career with the ‘Boys going.

“I have definitely thought about it. I want to be here. I don’t have a crystal ball. I can’t tell you the future. But I definitely want to be here,” said Elliott on his future with the Cowboys.

If the Cowboys were to release Elliott with a post-June 1 designation, they would save nearly $11M against the 2023 salary cap. Right now, Dallas finds itself less than $6M under the projected salary cap without a ton of potential outs.