The New England Patriots have adopted a somewhat unexpected strategy in the early stages of the NFL’s active free agent signing period by keeping several familiar faces from last year’s team, including Kendrick Bourne, Jalen Reagor, and Josh Uche.
Despite these reunions, Christopher Price of the Boston Globe delivered a grim update for those anticipating the return of running back Ezekiel Elliott to the Patriots. According to Price, who cited a league source, there have been no discussions between the Patriots and Ezekiel Elliott regarding his return for the 2024 season.
Price added that while this situation could change in the future, as the free agent landscape is prone to rapid shifts, at present, both parties remain at a standstill.
Observing Elliott’s prolonged presence on the free agent market may come as somewhat unexpected, particularly in light of recent developments among other players in his position group. While the modern era has raised doubts about the role and value of running backs, some of Elliott’s counterparts, such as Saquon Barkley in Philadelphia and Josh Jacobs in Green Bay, have secured lucrative long-term contracts. Nevertheless, for the time being, it seems Elliott will need to exercise patience. Having reached the end of his tenure in Dallas, Elliott joined the team during the latter stages of last year’s offseason, initially intended as a complementary option for Rhamondre Stevenson. However, when Stevenson suffered an injury, Elliott was thrust into a more prominent role within New England’s struggling offense.
The offensive line’s inconsistency and frequent changes led to Elliott experiencing new career lows, as he only accumulated 642 yards with an average of 3.5 yards per carry. Despite this, Elliott somewhat maintained his reputation as a scorer by scoring three touchdowns in the final five games, during which he also caught 27 receptions for 159 yards.
The running back position for the Patriots became more crowded this week, as Antonio Gibson, formerly with the Washington Commanders, seems to have taken over Elliott’s role. With Rhamondre Stevenson expected to return, the depth chart also includes Kevin Harris, JaMycal Hasty, and Ke’Shawn Vaughn.