If you haven’t heard the name Ezekiel Elliott in a while that’s because he has taken a distant backseat to Rico Dowdle, who this past Sunday became the first undrafted player in Dallas Cowboys history to eclipse 1,000 rushing yards in a single season.

Elliott’s workload has dwindled since Dallas committed to Dowdle as their lead back. That decision, much to the chagrin of Cowboys fans, wasn’t enacted until the halfway point of the season.

It was obvious back in training camp that Dowdle was the best running back on the roster, but Elliott opened the season as RB1 and continued to eat away at Dowdle’s workload for the first two months.

With Dowdle in the midst of a breakout season, the Cowboys have decided to pull the plug on Elliott, according to NFL insider Josina Anderson.

While the move itself is not surprising, the timing comes as a bit of a shock. Why not just stick it out for one more game and move on after the season?

Well, Anderson notes that Elliott requested his release.

Out of respect for Elliott and his contributions over the years, the Cowboys wanted to give him the opportunity to sign with a playoff team if the opportunity presents itself. If he clears waivers, he’ll become a free agent.

It is pretty ironic that Dallas did right by Elliott despite his apparent lack of professionalism this season. The normally-buttoned-up veteran was perpetually late to team meetings and he was effectively suspended for one game after missing a Friday meeting before the Cowboys’ Week 9 game in Atlanta.

This reunion, for all intents and purposes, was a dud. It only ever made sense if everyone was on the same page about Elliott’s role. It became clear early in the season (see the lack of professionalism) that Elliott wanted a featured role.

While Mike McCarthy tried his best to shoehorn Elliott into his game plan, the two-time rushing champ averaged 3.1 yards per carry on over 70 attempts. That is dead-last among 46 qualified runners. Since the start of last season, no running back in the league averaged fewer yards per carry than Zeke’s 3.4.

At best, Elliott is a short-yardage and goal-line back at this stage of his career. He could have filled that role admirably behind Dowdle, but Dallas insisted on deploying a committee for the first half of the season.

While Elliott’s final hoorah with the Cowboys will leave fans with a sour taste in their mouth, this is still one of the best RBs in franchise history and of his generation. Once the stench of 2024 wears off, Zeke absolutely will be remembered fondly around these parts.