Ezekiel Elliott jersey number: Why Cowboys' RB is wearing No. 15, not 21, in second stint with Dallas

   

Elliott is returning to Dallas after a one-year stint in New England, going back to the franchise that drafted him No. 4 overall in 2016. The Cowboys signed the eight-year veteran to a one-year, $3 million contract this offseason.

Ezekiel Elliott 08232024

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With last year's starting running back Tony Pollard taking his talents to the Titans in free agency, Elliott is in line to handle the majority of snaps out of Dallas' backfield.

He'll have a different look than he did in the first seven years of his career with the Cowboys, though. Find out why below.

Why did Ezekiel Elliott change his number?

Elliott wore No. 21 in his first seven NFL seasons with the Cowboys, but he switched to No. 15 with the Patriots last year.

Elliott will stick with No. 15 in Dallas instead of going back to his old jersey number. Why No. 15? That was the number Elliott wore in college when he dominated at Ohio State.

Backup quarterback Trey Lance switched his jersey to No. 19 to allow Zeke to wear No. 15.

Ezekiel Elliott Ohio State stats

No. 15 has looked pretty good on Elliott in the past. He tallied just shy of 4,000 rushing yards in three seasons, collecting 43 touchdowns while donning that jersey number at Ohio State.

Elliott's success led to the Cowboys taking the star running back No. 4 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft.

Year Class G Att Rush Yds Rush TDs Rec Rec Yds Rec TDs
2013 FR 7 30 262 2 3 23 1
2014 SO 15 273 1,878 18 28 220 0
2015 JR 13 289 1,821 23 27 206 0
Total   35 592 3,961 43 58 449 1

Ezekiel Elliott NFL stats

There is no denying that Elliott's best years came while rocking No. 21 in Dallas, but the veteran RB was still solid with the Patriots wearing No. 15 last season.

In 2023, Elliott had 184 carries for 642 rushing yards and five total touchdowns. Perhaps even more impressive was his 51 receptions, his highest total since 2020. He proved he can still handle every-down work after starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson went down with an injury late in the season.

Year Team G Att Rush Yds Rush TDs Rec Rec Yds Rec TDs
2016 DAL 15 322 1,631 15 32 363 1
2017 DAL 10 242 983 7 26 269 2
2018 DAL 15 304 1,434 6 77 567 3
2019 DAL 16 301 1,357 12 54 420 2
2020 DAL 15 244 979 6 52 338 2
2021 DAL 17 237 1,002 10 47 287 2
2022 DAL 15 231 876 12 17 92 0
2023 NE 17 184 642 3 51 313 2
Total   120 2,065 8,904 71 356 2,649 14