Teams continue to make late signings for undrafted free agents or NFL veterans seeking a last-minute home. Nevertheless, three-time Pro Bowler Ezekiel Elliott remains unsigned.
A new report revealed Wednesday by ESPN’s Kimberly A. Martin indicated the reason why the former leading rusher of the Dallas Cowboys remains without an NFL team.
General Managers Say Ezekiel Elliott Has ‘Lost a Step’
Martin went on NFL Live to share what she was told about Elliott’s market.
“The market that Elliott wants just may not be there,” she began. “(General Managers) think he can be productive but that he lost a step.”
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This comes off as GMs beginning to believe Elliott is officially past his prime coming to the official realization that he is no longer envisioned as the bell-cow back he was before the emergence of Tony Pollard.
As for Elliott, Martin says the unsigned free agent hasn’t lost his patience in trying to find a new suitor.
“Two things are clear: Zeke wants to win, and he wants to be patient,” Martin said.
Are There Any Reported Suitors for Elliott?
Martin’s report comes one day after a league insider revealed to Sportkeeda that the Cleveland Browns and Los Angeles Chargers emerged as possible suitors for Elliott.
The Chargers already have past Cowboys representation in the form of offensive coordinator Kellen Moore.
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“The fact that his former offensive coordinator in Dallas, Kellen Moore, is now running the entire offense with the Chargers makes a lot of sense,” the insider told Sportskeeda. “Elliott, paired with Chargers starting running back Austin Ekeler, would give the Chargers arguably one of the most lethal running back tandems in all of football — one that would feature elusiveness, power, and speed.”
The Chargers themselves have dealt with Ekeler’s trade demand during March before he became open to playing out the final season of his contract and testing the 2024 free agent market.
Cleveland, meanwhile, lost D’Ernest Johnson in free agency (who has since joined the Jacksonville Jaguars) while fellow backfield mate Kareem Hunt remains unsigned. The need to provide depth for Nick Chubb can come into play. Adding Elliott would pair two 27-year-old backs in the same room.
Elliot is coming off the worst statistical season of his career, finishing with 231 carries, 876 yards, and a 3.8 yards-per-carry, all representing new career lows. Elliott did score 12 rushing touchdowns, which was more than his 2021 and 2020 totals.
The former fourth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft is now in a position where he’ll have to accept a lesser role, per Martin’s report.