After the ninth game of the 2016 season, he became the second Cowboys rookie to rush for more than 1,000 yards in a season, after Tony Dorsett achieved the mark in 1977. He also became the third running back to rush for 1,000 yards after just the ninth game of his career, joining Adrian Peterson and Eric Dickerson.
Elliott finished his rookie year as the NFL's top rusher with 1,631 yards, which was the 47th best season all-time, the third most by a rookie (behind Eric Dickerson's 1,808 in 1983 and George Rogers' 1,674 in 1981), and the youngest player to reach 1,600 yards. He finished third with 15 touchdowns behind LeGarrette Blount and David Johnson. He tied Mike Anderson, Clinton Portis, and Ickey Woods for the second most all-time by a rookie behind Eric Dickerson's 18. Elliott's 464 yards after contact ranked fourth among NFL running backs. As a result of his successful season, Elliott was selected as a First-team All-Pro, and earned his first Pro Bowl, joining Dak Prescott as the first rookie running back and quarterback duo in NFL history to be selected. He was also ranked seventh by his peers on the NFL Top 100 Players of 2017 as the highest ranked running back.
Ezekiel Elijah Elliott (born July 22, 1995), nicknamed "Zeke", is an American football running back who is a free agent. He played college football for the Ohio State Buckeyes, earning second-team All-American honors in 2015. Elliott was selected by the Dallas Cowboys fourth overall in the 2016 NFL draft. In seven seasons with the Cowboys, he was a three-time Pro Bowl and two-time All-Pro selection, and led the league in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018.
Before the draft, Elliott was labeled the most complete back to enter the NFL since Adrian Peterson in 2007, and was predicted to be a top 10 selection. On a draft breakdown by NFL.com, he drew comparisons to Edgerrin James and was listed as a three-down back that had "rare combination of size, athleticism, pass-catching and blocking skills", and that he "should still come out of the gates as one of the most productive young running backs in the league".
Despite his athletic pedigree, Elliott attended more academically driven John Burroughs School in Ladue, Missouri, where he was a three-sport star in football, basketball, and track and field. He also played baseball. He played as a running back for the John Burroughs Bombers football team. As a junior in 2012, he was named the St. Louis Post-Dispatch offensive player of the year after rushing for 1,802 yards and 34 touchdowns and receiving 23 passes for 401 yards and six scores. In his senior year, he had 3,061 all-purpose yards and 50 total touchdowns, including 2,155 rushing yards and 40 rushing touchdowns. He led the football team to three straight championship games, but lost all three.
As a true freshman at Ohio State University in 2013, Elliott rushed for 262 yards on 30 carries with two touchdowns as a backup to starter Carlos Hyde, mostly playing as a gunner on special teams.
Considered a four-star recruit by Scout.com, Elliott was listed as the No. 9 running back in the nation in 2013. He played in the 2013 U.S. Army All-American Bowl. Despite overwhelming support and pressure for Elliott to sign with his parents' alma mater, the University of Missouri, he decided to sign with Ohio State University.
In 2014, with the departure of Hyde to the NFL, Elliott took over as the starter for the Buckeyes. During the season, Elliott was named to the Academic All-Big Ten Conference team. Elliott rushed over 100 yards six times during the scheduled season. In the 2014 Big Ten Championship Game against the Wisconsin Badgers, Elliott ran for 220 yards on 20 carries for two touchdowns. This win qualified Ohio State for the first-ever College Football Playoff. In the 2015 Sugar Bowl against #1 Alabama, Elliott ran for 230 yards on 20 carries in a hard-fought 42–35 win where he was named the Offensive Player of the Game, including an 85 yard touchdown run to seal the win. He then capped the Buckeyes' championship season by rushing for 246 yards on 36 carries and scoring four touchdowns against the Oregon Ducks. He was named the Offensive MVP of that game as well; it was the third most rushing yards ever by an Ohio State player.
Elliott finished his career at Ohio State on several leaderboards. He was second in career rushing yards with 3,961 and yards per game with 101.6 (both behind only Archie Griffin), had the second and third most rushing yards in a season, and five of the top 20 rushing yards in a game. His 43 rushing touchdowns was fourth most all time, and his 23 in 2015 was third most in a season. His twelve 100-yard rushing games in the 2015 season tied Eddie George for a school record, and the 22 he amassed over his career was again second only to Griffin (as was his streak of 15 consecutive 100-yard games from 2014 to 2015). He and George are the only Ohio State players with five 200-yard rushing games.
In 2015, Elliott began the season by rushing for over 100 yards in 10 straight wins, including 274 against Indiana on October 3 (the second most all-time by an Ohio State player). However, the team suffered a 14–17 loss to Michigan State on November 21, 2015, and Elliott announced that he would enter the 2016 NFL draft. The following week, Elliott ran for 214 yards on 30 carries in a 42–13 Ohio State victory over rival Michigan in Ann Arbor, his fifth 200+ yard game. He ended his collegiate career with 149 yards and four touchdowns in a Fiesta Bowl win over Notre Dame.
On August 11, 2017, the NFL suspended Elliott for the first six games of the 2017 season for violating the personal conduct policy. His suspension stemmed from accusations of domestic violence against his ex-girlfriend on five occasions in 2016. NFL officials conducted a year-long investigation into the allegations, and though Elliott was never criminally charged, decided to suspend him. On August 16, Elliott announced that he would appeal the suspension. Although the suspension was upheld on September 6 by a league-appointed arbitrator, on September 8, a federal judge granted a request for injunction by the NFL Players Association (NFLPA), putting the suspension on hold indefinitely.
Elliott was selected in the first round with the fourth overall pick by the Dallas Cowboys in the 2016 NFL draft on April 28, 2016. He was the first running back selected in the draft that year. Elliott was widely regarded as an early favorite for the 2016 Offensive Rookie of the Year while playing behind what many agreed upon as the NFL's most dominant offensive line leading up to the 2016 NFL season.
On May 18, 2016, Elliott signed his four-year rookie contract reportedly worth $24.9 million with a $16.3 million signing bonus.
On April 17, 2019, the Cowboys picked up the fifth-year option on Elliott's contract. However, Elliott began holding out during training camp, demanding a contract extension. On September 4, Elliott signed a six-year extension with the Cowboys worth $90 million, with $50 million guaranteed, keeping him under contract through the 2026 season.
In August 2020, Elliott became a shareholder of OnCore Golf Technology, Inc., a manufacturer of golf balls based in Buffalo, New York.
During Week 5 against the New York Giants, Elliott recorded 105 yards from scrimmage and two rushing touchdowns during the 37–34 win. In Week 11 against the Minnesota Vikings, Elliott rushed for 103 yards and recorded two receptions for 11 yards and a touchdown during the 31–28 win. This was his first 100-yard rushing game of the season. Elliott missed his first career game due to injury on December 20, 2020, in Week 15 against the 49ers, whom the Cowboys went on to beat 41–33. In Week 16 against the Eagles, he had 19 carries for 105 yards in the 37–17 victory.
In May 2021, Elliott was cited by police after one of his dogs bit and injured two people in his Frisco, Texas neighborhood.
On August 27, 2021, the Cowboys restructured Elliott's contract, converting $8.6 million of his base salary for the upcoming season into a signing bonus to save some salary cap space. Despite dealing with lingering knee and ankle injuries during the majority of the season, Elliott was still able to start all 17 games and rush for 1,002 yards and ten touchdowns on 237 carries along with 47 receptions for 287 yards and two touchdowns. He had two games going over the 100-yard mark and four games with multiple touchdowns.
The Cowboys released Elliott on March 15, 2023.
On August 16, 2023, Elliott signed a one-year contract with the New England Patriots. Patriots offensive coordinator Bill O'Brien stated that Elliott would be used primarily in 3rd down and red zone situations behind starter Rhamondre Stevenson. In Week 14 against the Steelers, he had 140 scrimmage yards and a receiving touchdown in the win. He appeared in all 17 games and made five starts, all at the end of the season. He totaled 184 carries for 648 rushing yards and three rushing touchdowns to go with 51 receptions for 313 receiving yards and two receiving touchdowns.