New England Patriots Sign Former Ohio State Running Back Ezekiel Elliott

By Dan Hope on August 14, 2023 at 4:59 pm
Ezekiel Elliott
Nathan Ray Seebeck – USA TODAY Sports
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Ezekiel Elliott is heading to New England.

The former Ohio State running back agreed to a one-year deal with the New England Patriots on Monday, according to multiple reports. According to ESPN’s Adam Schefter, the deal includes $3 million in base salary with a $1 million signing bonus and is worth up to $6 million with incentives.

Elliott will wear No. 15 – the same number he wore for the Buckeyes – in New England after wearing No. 21 with the Dallas Cowboys.

The No. 4 overall pick in the 2016 NFL draft, Elliott joins the Patriots after seven years in Dallas, where he rushed for 8,262 yards and 68 touchdowns and added 305 catches for 2,336 yards and 12 touchdowns. Elliott made the Pro Bowl in three of his first four NFL seasons, leading the league in rushing twice, but was released by the Cowboys in March after rushing for only 876 yards on 3.8 yards per carry – both career-lows – in 2022.

Elliott is expected to be the No. 2 running back in New England behind Rhamondre Stevenson, who ran for 1,040 yards and five touchdowns on five yards per carry in 2022.

Elliott wasn’t the only Buckeye to agree to a deal with the Patriots on Monday, as former Ohio State linebacker Raekwon McMillan also signed a one-year contract extension with the team. While McMillan is out for the 2023 season with an Achilles tear, the extension keeps him under contract with the team for the 2024 season.

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