What Jerry Jones Hoped For After Cowboys Released Ezekiel Elliott

Jerry Jones was part of the group of Dallas decision-makers who decided to release Ezekiel Elliott back in March.

But if the Cowboys owner had it his way, the star running back still would be playing for America's Team.

Dallas cutting Elliott at the turn of the 2023 league year was an expected move. The 2016 first-rounder's numbers declined, his salary remained inflated and Tony Pollard earned the opportunity to be the Cowboys' lead back. But that doesn't mean Jones no longer wanted Elliott to stay in the backfield behind Dak Prescott.

In fact, the longtime Cowboys owner was hoping Elliott's foray into free agency ultimately led him back to Dallas.

"I wanted the best for him, of course, but still, I want the best for the Cowboys," Jones said Friday on 105.3 The Fan, as transcribed by Audacy. "And I was kind of laying in the weeds thinking that it might not go good for him with another team, and we would be able to do something at the end. And, of course, I knew that wasn't going to be the case when Bill Belichick called about him and was asking all the right questions."

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Elliott seems to be in a great spot in New England, where he's been a solid complement to Rhamondre Stevenson thus far. His stock has a chance to rise even more Sunday when he reportedly will see an increased snap count against his former team.

That uptick in touches could spell bad news for the Cowboys, and that's something Jones admittedly is fearful of heading into Sunday's game.