“One-year wonder” - Skip Bayless gives brutal judgement of Ezekiel Elliott’s Cowboys career

Skip Bayless seems to have had enough of Ezekiel Elliott. The Fox Sports personality and die-hard Dallas Cowboys fan criticized the running back in his eponymous podcast. He said:

“I no longer have an emotional attachment to Zeke… want to know the truth about Zeke's Cowboys career? When you really stand back and look at it, the harder I look, the more it comes clear to me that Ezekiel Elliott was pretty much a one-year wonder. Seriously, a one-year wonder in his rookie year. Was by far his best year.”

The 71-year-old host of 'Undisputed: Skip and Shannon' also reminisced about that memorable 2016 season.

“Remember the Cowboys went 13- 3 out of nowhere with a rookie back and a rookie quarterback. They secured home-field advantage throughout the playoffs to the Super Bowl. They got a week off before their home game, obviously against Aaron Rodgers and the Packers, that they ended up losing narrowly.”

“Dak was Rookie of the Year and Offensive Rookie of the Year, but trust me, if you look hard, Zeke deserved that award. Zeke was First Team All-Pro at running back, first team. Zeke led the league in rushing yards in touchdowns.”

Salary cap considerations and Tony Pollard’s emergence prompted the Cowboys to release Elliott. The former Ohio State standout signed a six-year, $90 million extension before the 2019 NFL season. That contract included $50 million in guaranteed money and a $7.5 million signing bonus.

Before the 2021 season, he converted $8.6 million of his base salary, creating $6.88 million in additional cap space for the Cowboys.

Ezekiel Elliott was a three-time Pro Bowler in seven seasons with the Dallas Cowboys. He was also a 2016 First Team All-Pro and 2018 Second Team All-Pro member. He also led the league in rushing twice (2016 and 2018) and was included in the Pro Football Writers Association’s 2016 All-Rookie Team. Elliott has four 1,000-yard seasons under his belt, with the last one happening in 2021.

The fourth overall pick in the 2016 NFL Draft missed only four games from 2018 to 2022. However, Pollard rushed for 1,007 yards when he only had 876 last season.

Ezekiel Elliott Is Attracting No Suitors, For Now

Ezekiel Elliott is a post-June 1 designation for the Cowboys. Dallas will absorb $11.86 million in dead money if they cut him at the start of free agency. That massive amount will limit Dallas’ capability of signing other players.

But since Elliott is a post-June 1, they can split his cap count over two seasons, giving them more wiggle room. Elliott will only count for $5.82 million in dead money in 2023 and $6.04 million in 2024.

While he has been designated for release, there are still no reports of other teams hoping to get his services. However, he reportedly wishes to continue his career with either the Philadelphia Eagles, New York Jets, or Cincinnati Bengals.

Potentially, those who want to have him will make an offer after June 1 for a much lower value.