Source: Cowboys to release RB Ezekiel Elliott after 7 seasons

FRISCO, Texas — The Dallas Cowboys will release Ezekiel Elliott, making the running back a free agent, a source told ESPN's Adam Schefter.

Elliott was set to count $16.7 million against the salary cap with a $10.9 million non-guaranteed base salary. Elliott will be designated a post-June 1 cut, per sources, which means the club will save nearly $11 million against the 2023 cap, but he will count $4.9 million against the 2024 cap. They will not get the cap credit until June 1.

At the recent NFL scouting combine, owner and general manager Jerry Jones remained open to the possibility of keeping Elliott and Tony Pollard, who was given the $10.091 million franchise tag, but that was always unlikely. Elliott would have had to accept a substantial pay cut and it's not clear the Cowboys even made such an offer. In two of their high-profile releases in the past, they did not make pay-cut offers to DeMarcus Ware or Dez Bryant.

In 2019, Elliott signed a six-year extension worth $90 million that included $50 million in guaranteed money but his numbers fell off the last three seasons, topping 1,000 yards once (1,002) in 2021 when the league expanded to a 17-game schedule.

Injuries slowed Elliott the last two years. He played through a partially torn posterior cruciate ligament in 2021 while not missing a game. He missed two games in 2022 because of a hyperextended right knee but he wore a brace for most of the season.

While Elliott continued as the starter, the Cowboys relied more on Pollard last season. Pollard ran for 1,007 yards, scored 12 touchdowns and was named to the Pro Bowl for the first time. The Cowboys have until July 15 to work out a multi-year agreement with him or he has to play the year on the tag.

Elliott had a