DALLAS — When Ezekiel Elliott laces up his cleats on Sundays this fall, he'll be donning a different number than Cowboys fans are used to seeing him in.
The former Ohio State Buckeye will be going back to his roots during his second stint with America's Team, wearing his No. 15 college number instead of No. 21, which he wore for the Cowboys previously. Elliott wore No. 15 when he went to the New England Patriots.
The Cowboys re-signed their former Pro Bowl running back after Tony Pollard signed with for the Tennessee Titans and the team didn't select a running back in the NFL Draft.
Elliott gets No. 15 from Trey Lance, who will be switching to No. 19, per ESPN's Adam Schefter.
"I just kind of look at it as a different era," Elliott said. "I wore 15 last year and wanted to go back. I got unfinished business. I'm here to chase a ring."
In seven seasons for the Cowboys, Elliott rushed for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns. Elliott ran for 642 yards and three touchdowns in one season for the Patriots. He's a three-time Pro Bowler and lead the NFL in rushing yards during the 2016 and 2018 seasons.
Elliott was drafted with the No. 4 overall pick by the Cowboys in the 2016 NFL Draft.
Elliott rejoins a team that includes Rico Dowdle, Elliott’s teammate from 2020-22, second-year players Deuce Vaughn and Hunter Luepke and another young, unproven back in Malik Davis. Dallas also added journeyman Royce Freeman this offseason.
Prescott thinks Elliott is the perfect fit. Never mind the declining production of just one 1,000-yard season — and just barely at 1,002 — out of the past four.
“He’s a real guy. He’s honest,” Prescott said. “He can have fun when it’s time, but when it’s time to be serious and lock in, there’s nobody better than him. It’s something every young guy should follow, the way he goes about his business on the field.”
Elliott also knows the history of postseason disappointment in Dallas, having made the playoffs with the Cowboys four times without getting past the divisional round.
The biggest shock of the Prescott era came without Elliott last season. The NFC East champs were stunned by Green Bay 48-32 in a wild-card game at home, becoming the first team in NFL history to win 12 games in three consecutive seasons and not reach a conference championship game.
Editor's note: The Associated Press contributed to this story.
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