The New England Patriots signed Ezekiel Elliot to a one-year $1.55 million base contract, with a $600,000 signing bonus for the 2023-2024 NFL season, filling the vacancy of Damien Harris in the Patriots running back position.
Ex-Dallas Cowboys star runningback Elliot became a free agent in the 2023 offseason when his former team released him on March 15, 2023, due to salary cap restrictions. Elliot recorded 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns in his 103 games with the Cowboys, but flew under the radar as runningbacks Jonathan Taylor, Dalvin Cook, and Saquan Barkley took over the headlines during free agency. However, Coach Bill Belichick has a history of finding quality players that other coaches may overlook.
Elliott’s shortcoming is his injury history. Since October of 2021, ahead of Week 5 of that season, he has suffered multiple injuries to his right knee, a recurring problem that contributed to other teams overlooking his potential. Since his initial knee strain in 2021, Elliott reinjured that same knee twice in the 2021 season. In late November 2021, he partially tore his PCL and continued to play. He then sprained his MCL in his right knee in October 2022 which eventually caused him to miss two games due to that injury.
With that context, the Patriots can designate Elliott as their No. 1 running back with the understanding that if he sustains another injury, the team needs a viable backup. The question is, not only is Elliott healthy, but since he is the Patriots' primary running back, what happens if he reinjures his knee in this upcoming NFL season? Fortunately, the Patriots have second-string runningback Rhamondre Stevenson, fresh off his 2022 breakout season in which he rushed for 1,040 yards and 5 touchdowns.
On the other hand, Elliott averaged 3.8 yards per carry last season–a career low, yet still scored 12 rushing touchdowns, while missing two games in October. Stevenson's counterpart, Damien Harris, signed with the Buffalo Bills during the offseason. Elliott is expected to step up and fill the void left by Harris who gained 9.8 yards per carry, besting Elliott by six yards a carry. While Elliott’s stats prove him to be the more dominant rusher of the two, Stevenson has been more effective as a receiver, logging 421 receiving yards and a touchdown last season.
Elliott is a great addition to the Patriots’ running game–if he can stay healthy. In the 2022 NFL season, the Patriots utilized two runningbacks, Harris and Stevenson. With Elliott assuming Harris’ role, the chances of reinjuring his knee decrease if he splits snaps with Stevenson. Based on last year's statistics, Elliot poses a greater threat as a red zone back, while Stevenson can bolster the Patriots’ passing game.
Fully healthy, Ezekiel Elliott can rack up yardage while also mentoring the young Stevenson, which can spell success for the Patriots’ running game.
