Ezekiel Elliott

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy said the team would use “two or three [running backs], whatever it takes” in 2024.

McCarthy noted the rise of split backfields in the modern NFL and said the Cowboys — who last season had the league’s fourth highest pass rate over expected — would divvy up backfield touches among Ezekiel Elliott, Rico Dowdle, and a yet-to-be-named third running back. Royce Freeman would be the likeliest third option behind Elliott and Dowdle. Zeke would be the odds-on favorite to get goal line work, though Dowdle could split the pass-catching role going into the regular season.