Ezekiel Elliott's future with the Dallas Cowboys is up in the air. Amid Tony Pollard's impending free agency, there's speculation that the Cowboys could cut Elliott and move forward with Pollard as their top running back.

Ezekiel Elliott has a $16.72 million cap hit for the 2023 NFL season. The veteran could potentially take a significant pay cut to stay with the Cowboys.

Accepting a smaller salary could be Elliott's best option. NFL scouts and analysts seem to be in agreement that Elliott would not be a hot commodity in free agency.

“I think the answer is that given the number of analysts and scouts I have talked to about Elliott this year and the consensus opinion is in stone,” The Athletic's Bob Sturm wrote in response to a question regarding the potential free-agent market for Elliott. “He has very little left in his legs and the word is out. I believe he has one option for employment above the league minimum and it is right here in Dallas. I could be wrong, but if I am, it is a very low number. Maybe one year for $2 million or $2.5 million which is a far cry from what he is used to.”

A two-time rushing champ, Elliott is no longer the same player after years of being a bell cow back and playing through injuries. Elliott played through a torn PCL in the 2021 season and missed two games with a knee injury in the 2022 campaign.

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Elliott rushed for a career-low 876 yards on 3.8 yards per carry during the 2022 season. Over the last three seasons with the Cowboys, Elliott is averaging 952.3 yards on just over 4.0 yards per attempt.

Pollard, on the other hand, had 1,007 rushing yards on 5.2 yards per carry behind the same Cowboys' offensive line last season. Pollard has averaged 5.1 yards per attempt since being drafted by Dallas in the fourth round of the 2019 NFL Draft.

It's been apparent for a few years that Pollard is a more productive back than Elliott. Now that Pollard's contract is up, Elliott's wallet might finally pay the price.

The Cowboys have until March 7 to decide if they are going to use the franchise tag on Pollard.