Jerry Jones Must Have Lied to Get Ezekiel Elliott to Re-Sign With Cowboys

Dallas Cowboys fans received a blast from the past when veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott returned to the franchise on a one-year deal (worth up to $3 million) earlier this week. Elliott rushed for over 8,200 yards with 68 touchdowns across seven seasons with America's Team before spending the 2023 campaign with the New England Patriots.

Naturally, fans are wondering why Elliott decided to come back to Big D to continue his career. After all, it was just over a year ago when the Cowboys unceremoniously dumped him in favor of Tony Pollard, who didn't have what it took to be a workhorse back. Considering how loyal he was to the franchise, no one would've blamed Elliott if he chose never to play in Dallas again.

Fast forward to Thursday and we now know why Elliott decided to re-join the Cowboys. Unsurprisingly, Jerry Jones lying (again) may have played a factor in the 28-year-old's decision.

Cowboys News: Did Jerry Jones Lie to Ezekiel Elliott?

According to Lone Star Live's Joseph Hoyt, Elliott re-joined the Cowboys for the same reason that most players join a contender: to chase a championship. "I'm here to chase a [Super Bowl] ring," the veteran rusher told reporters at the franchise's 11th annual home run derby on Wednesday.

Elliott could have said that he wanted to return to the franchise where his career began or even that he missed being in Dallas. Instead, he claimed that his return offered him his best shot to win a Super Bowl ring, meaning that Jones probably lied to him to convince him to don the iconic star once more.

There's nothing about the Cowboys' offseason that suggests Jones is ready to compete for a Super Bowl. For starters, Dallas let several key players — from Tyron Smith and Tyler Biadasz to Stephon Gilmore — walk in free agency without a backup plan. Instead of chasing after big-name free agents to fill the newly created voids, Jones sat on his hands while screaming to the heavens that the team was going 'all in.'

Yes, the Cowboys finally did add some more warm bodies with a promising draft showing, but let's not act like that makes them a Super Bowl favorite. The likes of Tyler Guyton, Marshawn Kneeland, and Cooper Beebe could be important pieces one day, but any NFL fan knows that a player reaching his potential is never guaranteed.

It also isn't as if much changed during Elliott's year away from the franchise. Despite being one of the better teams on both sides of the ball during the regular season, the Cowboys, once again, collapsed in the playoffs with an upset loss to the Green Bay Packers. As a result, head coach Mike McCarthy's postseason record in Dallas has dropped to 1-3 which includes a pair of one-and-done showings.

Is Jerry Jones Lying to Himself?

And who's to say that Jones isn't lying to himself, too? What if he truly believed that Elliott was the missing piece to win a Super Bowl?

You certainly can't rule that out as a possibility given that the eccentric owner claims that going 'all in' is whatever the Cowboys have (or haven't) been doing this offseason. Jones' actions don't match his words at this point. With all due respect, putting forth a maximum effort would've meant targeting a premium RB like Derrick Henry or Saquon Barkley as opposed to saving money by signing a past-his-prime 'Zeke.'

As much as it pains me to say it, you only need to see what the rival Philadelphia Eagles did this spring to understand what gearing up for a championship run is all about. The Eagles didn't hesitate to throw cash at big names since the amount of money spent is irrelevant if it leads to a championship.

At the end of the day, if Jones and Elliott believe that the Cowboys are legitimate Super Bowl threats, they need to look themselves back in the mirror. There's a line between wanting to win a title and knowing that your roster is good enough to take home the Lombardi Trophy.

When it comes to Jones, I'm unsure if he knows the difference at this point. He seems content with assuming they're the same thing and hopes that the players (and fanbase) blindly follow his vision.

Regardless of whether or not the Cowboys are good enough to win it all, they currently hold the eighth-best Super Bowl LIX odds (+1500) on FanDuel Sportsbook.

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