Cowboys' Mike McCarthy on Ezekiel Elliott's Release: 'No One Felt Good About That'

The Dallas Cowboys released veteran running back Ezekiel Elliott earlier this month to free up nearly $11 million in cap space for 2023, but the decision to do so wasn't an easy one.

Cowboys head coach Mike McCarthy told NFL Network's Tom Pelissero on March 27 that "no one felt good about" releasing Elliott after all he contributed to the franchise over the last seven seasons.

McCarthy told Pelissero:

"No one felt good about that. Zeke has such a bright light to him, too. He's a great teammate, and just so much love for him in the building. You get to these spots, the longer you're in this league, these are tough decisions. Very difficult decisions, and very difficult for Dak [Prescott]. I've had a number of conversations with Dak, but yeah, it's not easy."

The Cowboys selected Elliott fourth overall in the 2016 NFL draft. He went on to post four 1,000-plus-yard rushing seasons and racked up a total of 8,262 rushing yards in 103 games across seven seasons.

Additionally, Elliott earned three Pro Bowl selections, a first-team All-Pro selection and a second-team All-Pro selection while in Dallas.

While the 27-year-old's production has dipped over the last few seasons, his presence on the field is certainly going to be missed for the Cowboys.

That said, Tony Pollard has excelled over the last few seasons and he should flourish as the team's lead running back in 2023.