Patriots agree to deal with former All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott
The deal is for one year and could be worth as much as $6 million.
The Patriots have agreed to a deal with former All-Pro running back Ezekiel Elliott, according to a league source.
The deal is for one year and could be worth as much as $6 million.
Elliott is a 6-foot, 228-pounder who has spent seven seasons in the NFL, all with the Cowboys. He’s rushed for 8,262 yards in his career, including a career-high 1,631 as a rookie in 2016, and has a 4.4 yards per carry average.
The veteran was released in March. Knee injuries have plagued him the past two seasons — a partially torn PCL and a Grade 2 MCL sprain. Last season, he rushed for 876 yards and 12 touchdowns in 15 games, and averaged 15.4 carries per game.
“Zeke’s a tough back, downhill guy,” Bill Belichick said in 2019. “He’s had a lot of big runs since he’s come into the league, way more than anybody else. He’s a hard guy to tackle. He’s got good vision, good power.”
The 28-year-old visited the Patriots last month. New England has been in the market for help behind Rhamondre Stevenson, as Ty Montgomery has struggled to stay healthy, and J.J. Taylor, Kevin Harris, and Pierre Strong Jr. have failed to distinguish themselves.
In addition to hosting Elliott, the Patriots also worked out veterans Leonard Fournette and Darrell Henderson.
Although the Patriots’ offensive line struggled in the preseason opener, the ground game also had issues against the Texans. The Patriots averaged just 3.1 yards per carry, and the leading rusher was quarterback Malik Cunningham (34 yards).
Elliott would presumably work in tandem with Stevenson, who topped the 1,000-yard mark for the first time last season, finishing with 1,040 rushing yards on 210 carries. When news broke of the Patriots’ interest in Elliott last month, Stevenson sounded a positive note.
“I’m totally confident in our room right now,” he said. “But if we get another [back], I’m with that, too.”
“Great player,” receiver Kendrick Bourne said at the time. “We’d love to have him.”
The Patriots also added former USFL running back C.J. Marable. The 26-year-old has been a USFL star the past two seasons, helping lead Birmingham to a pair of titles. This spring, Marable ran for 525 yards, averaging 4.4 yards per carry for the Stallions.
He was originally signed as an undrafted free agent by the Bears in 2021, but was cut before the season. The 5-7, 195-pounder rushed for 2,691 yards and averaged 5.5 yards per carry at Coastal Carolina.
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