It’s been a frustrating offseason for the Dallas Cowboys, which is the last thing any Cowboys fan wanted to hear after yet another embarrassing early exit from the playoffs.

Not only did Dallas let Tyron Smith, their franchise left tackle, sign with the Jets on very team-friendly terms, but they also lost their starting running back, Tony Pollard, who signed a deal with the Titans.

Pollard isn’t as big of a loss as Smith, especially considering his lackluster season as a starter, but it left Dallas without a clear answer in the backfield. With the options being rather limited a couple of weeks into free agency, Dallas is reportedly looking into the most ill-advised reunion possible.

ESPN’s Jeremy Fowler reported on Saturday that the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott are showing mutual interest. Yikes.

Cowboys showing ill-advised interest in Ezekiel Elliott after striking out on other running backs

Elliott spent seven seasons with the Cowboys after being drafted with the No. 4 overall pick back in 2016, and he had some good moments in a Cowboys uniform. He led the league in both rushing yards and attempts twice and he made three Pro Bowl appearances. Unfortunately, things didn’t end well for Elliott who averaged just 3.8 yards per carry in his final season in Dallas before releasing him at the end of the 2022 campaign.

The 28-year-old signed with the New England Patriots to be Rhamondre Stevenson’s backup, but with Stevenson missing time due to injury, Elliot saw more snaps than the Patriots anticipated. When given the chance, things did not go well. He ran for 642 yards on the season, averaging just 3.5 yards per carry and scoring three touchdowns. Some of that had to do with the Patriots offense being just brutal all around, but a large portion of Elliott’s struggles had to do with the simple fact that he’s not close to the dynamic rusher he once was.

Elliott signing with the Cowboys and seeing significant action would be a horrible idea. He’s shown for years now that he just doesn’t have much left in the tank. If this is just Jerry Jones having some fun, sure, have at it, I guess. If this is to be Dallas’ RB1, oh boy.