Mike McCarthy breaks silence on Cowboys’ stunning release

The Dallas Cowboys backfield will be very different in 2023. The Cowboys applied the franchise tag to running back Tony Pollard for next season. With much of their focus being on Pollard for the future, the Cowboys decided to part ways with Ezekiel Elliott and save $10 million in the process. During the league annual meeting, head coach Mike McCarthy broke his silence on the Cowboys’ decision to release Elliott.

According to NFL.com’s Kevin Patra, McCarthy recently said no one within the Cowboys organization was happy to see Elliott leave:

“You know, no one felt good about that,” he said. “I mean, Zeke has such a bright light to him too. He’s a great teammate. There’s so much love for him in the building, but you get to these spots, you know, the longer you’re in this league, these are tough decisions. Very difficult decisions. Very difficult for Dak (Prescott). You know, I’ve had a number of conversations with Dak, but it’s not easy.”

Elliott will be with a new team for the first time in his NFL career. A report recently revealed three Super Bowl-contending teams he wants to join.