Ezekiel Elliott Finally Finds New Home for Playoffs After Cowboys Release

Last week, on New Year's Eve, it was announced that the Cowboys have released Ezekiel Elliott so that he would have the chance to play with a playoff-contending team if given the opportunity.

Although Elliott was given the opportunity to find a new team, many Cowboy fans believed that Elliott getting signed by a contender would be a long shot, to say the least, due to how poorly he performed this season. Due to fan skepticism, many across the metroplex were shocked when it was announced on Monday afternoon that Elliott had signed a deal with the Los Angeles Chargers to join the team's practice squad.

The Chargers who finished the regular season with a 11-6 record have managed to make it back into the postseason for the first time since 2018. The Chargers are looking to find substantial success in the playoffs under first year head coach Jim Harbaugh who is enjoying his newfound success since returning to the NFL after taking a seven year hiatus from the league  to coach at his alma mater the University of Michigan. 

While the Chargers are trying to find success in the postseason Elliott may not be the answer they are looking for as Elliott is coming off of a very disappointing regular season in his return to Dallas. He finished his 2024 campaign with a shockingly low 226 yards through 74 carries and was nothing more than a distraction for the Cowboys through most of the season. 

While Elliott was at one time one of the premier backs in the league, he has been on a steady decline the past couple of seasons and looks to be a far cry from the player he was once in his initial stint with the Cowboys. Through the past two seasons, Elliott has only been able to rush for a total of 868 yards, making Elliott one of the least desirable running backs in the NFL, which is in stark contrast to the MVP-caliber back Elliott once was just a few years ago.

It will be interesting to see if and how the Chargers will decide to use Elliott in the postseason.  Elliott could potentially replace veteran Gus Edwards, who has been inactive for the past couple of weeks due to an ankle injury he has been suffering from since week 16. 

Even if Elliott does take Edwards's spot on the depth chart, he will still be behind J.K. Dobbins, who has had an unexpected career resurgence during his first year with the Chargers. Dobbins finished his impressive regular-season campaign with 905 rushing yards and nine touchdowns, making him one of the most efficient running backs in the AFC this year.

Overall, the Chargers' decision to sign Elliott is shocking, to say the least. It seemed that Elliott had done almost everything to make himself unwanted by the rest of the NFL, but it appears one team is still holding on to hope that Elliott can revert into the electrifying playmaker he once was.

Elliott better make the most of his upcoming stint with the Chargers as this very well may be Elliot's last chance to redeem himself before his career officially comes to an end.

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