A Look at Ezekiel Elliot's Future - Dallas Sports Nation

Right now, Cowboy fans are focused on the unanswered questions surrounding Dak Prescott and his future in Dallas. Still, another player might have a few questions surrounding him also – running back Ezekiel Elliot.

Elliot seems like he is a staple with the Cowboys organization right now, but the front office may find themselves having to make some decisions involving the former two-time leading rusher sooner or later.

Ezekiel Elliot was a disappointment this past season. You could argue he was not in the best situation with all the injuries and COVID setbacks, but it was not just his performance that was lacking.

He failed to step up as a leader for his team when they needed him most.

Many people thought when Prescott went out with his injury, Dallas would turn to Elliot to carry the team as he had in the past; the running back that the Cowboys got was far from the one they had in 2016 and 2017.

It’s not just Elliot’s drop in performance that could affect his future. It is also affected by the direction that running backs in the league are heading in. Look at the two Super Bowl teams; neither of them had a running back used in the capacity that the Cowboys use Elliot. The position seems like it’s not as important as it once was, or at least a team doesn’t need a superstar running back to make the playoffs.

Even the Cowboys under Kellen Moore have started to move away from the running game. Before Prescott went out, he was on pace to throw for record yardage. A running back is still a required piece on the team, but an average back might be able to get the job done.

When you put all this together, the future does not look good for Elliot. He is being paid a lot, he isn’t performing at his best, he is starting to look like a luxury instead of a need, and the league seems to be moving away from dominant running back play.

When Elliot is out there looking great, we all love to see it, but when your quarterback needs to be paid and the defense needs to be rebuilt, the money going to the running back may start to look unnecessary.