Whatever Happened to Ezekiel Elliott? Here’s What He’s up to Now

Some NFL players come and go, but a few leave such a mark that the league just can’t move on from them. Ezekiel Elliott is one of the latter. In a throwback clip shared by the NFL’s Instagram on Nov. 11, 2025, showing one of Ezekiel’s “gem of a hurdle” plays from his Dallas Cowboys days, the league captioned it, “built different.” And he really was.

Elliott was widely regarded as one of the best running backs in the NFL, and this throwback clip, along with several others making the rounds online, proves it. But whatever happened to Elliott? Is he still playing football? Here’s an update in case you stumbled across that clip (or another one) and wondered the same thing.

Ezekiel Elliott was released from the Dallas Cowboys on Dec. 31, 2024, at his own request, officially ending his second stint with the team. The Cowboys announced Elliott’s request, and their decision to grant it, in a press release. Elliott had signed a $2 million contract for the 2024 season but chose to cut it short just days before the season’s end to pursue other opportunities in the sport

The announcement included a statement from Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones, who said, “Out of respect and appreciation for Zeke and wanting to provide him with an opportunity to pursue any potential playoff participation possible, we are releasing him from the Cowboys roster today. As I have said many times previously, Zeke's impact as one of the greatest to ever play with the Star on their helmet will never change and is etched in our record books and history forever.”

Elliott’s decision to leave the Cowboys came as a bit of a surprise, considering the team drafted him with the fourth overall pick in the 2015 NFL Draft. He then played with Dallas through the 2020 season under a contract that included a $6.2 million base salary and a $16.3 million signing bonus, per Spotrac.

Elliott remained with the team through 2022 before joining the New England Patriots for the 2023 season. He later returned to his “home” team in 2024, only to be released once again before the new year.

Elliott was signed to the practice squad of the Los Angeles Chargers in January 2025, just days after being released from the Cowboys on Dec. 31, 2024, according to a press release from the team. However, he never got the chance to play with the Chargers, and his contract expired at the end of the 2024 season. Since the team chose not to renew it, it officially made him a free agent.

So, what’s Elliott up to now? Well, it doesn’t appear that he’s actively playing football, at least not based on his Instagram updates. While he occasionally shares throwback clips from his memorable moments on the field, his more recent posts show him out supporting DFW boxer Vergil Ortiz during his big win in November 2025. And while many fans would love to see him return to the field, Elliott hasn’t made it clear what his next move will be.