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Cowboys say they released Ezekiel Elliott to avoid insulting him

The Dallas Cowboys know that some fans aren’t happy about the departure of running back Ezekiel Elliott. They also know that time will heal the wound, but that hasn’t held the front office back from expressing their continued affection for Zeke even after his departure. In fact, Stephen Jones said yesterday that Elliott’s release came partly because the Cowboys didn’t want to insult him.

Even the most unabashed, #21-wearing Zeke fan alive would have a hard time justifying the $16.7 million hit to Dallas’ salary cap that he would’ve counted in 2023. Not after a career-low 3.