Stop the printing press. We have breaking news.
This week was all about that. Before the sun rose on the Monday after the 2024 NFL Draft, the Dallas Cowboys had established themselves at the center of NFL discussion with their decision to bring back running back Ezekiel Elliott. Time is really a flat circle.
Since then, the move has become official, with Elliott speaking out as a new member of the team, and the running back also being photographed participating in football-related activities with the team.
In the photo in question, Zeke was wearing the number 21, which was in keeping with the idea that he would get his number back. Elliott obviously wore 21 throughout his career with the team, but he wasn't part of the group last year, so veteran cornerback Stephon Gilmore got it and wore it.
Wednesday brought news that Elliott would be moving to No. 15 (more on that later), leading some fans to wonder if Gilmore's return was imminent. According to Michael Gerken, dallas morning news, it's not.
There is nothing imminent about cornerback Stephon Gilmore's possible return, according to a person familiar with the situation. Gilmore will wear No. 21 with the Cowboys in 2023. https://t.co/p4pGO72B6Z
— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) May 1, 2024
It was like the Cowboys. They brought back Jordan Lewis early in the offseason, making the decision to go with a veteran cornerback. This isn't to say that both Gilmore and J-Lou couldn't return to the team in 2024, but it felt like the issue was rather resolved. On top of that, Dallas spent a fifth-round draft pick last week on Kaylen Carson from Wake Forest, and suddenly the cornerback room is pretty crowded. Gilmore's return seemed unlikely, but this integer made people wonder.
The numbers in question are certainly the result of Elliott's decision to change. It was initially reported that he would get 21 back, but he wore 15 at Ohio State and said he wanted it back in his first tweet after the Cowboys released him last year. When Zeke was drafted, running backs weren't allowed to wear No. 15, and that rule changed during his time in the NFL. He wore it in New England last season and will likely wear it in Dallas in Act II.
We see that the previous holder of number 15, Trey Lance, is switching numbers as a result of all this. Lance will wear number 19 on his jersey.
If you wanted to dust off Ezekiel Elliott's old No. 21 jersey with him back on the team, you could do that, but that's not technically correct. The machines will be up and running soon and people will get a new version with the number 15, America's team, and everything about the Jazz.
