The New England Patriots’ running back room has suddenly become crowded in recent weeks. So it’s worth checking in on the team, as well as the individual players.
It’s likely that the overall hierarchy has changed since the signing of Ezekiel Elliott. Despite the veteran former Dallas Cowboy’s contract being loaded with bonuses and incentives, his cap hit and likely earnings are about the same as the rest of the running backs combined.
So, Elliott’s pay grade and pedigree probably have him solidly second behind Rhamondre Stevenson on the Patriots’ running back depth chart. And now, there are FIVE more backs to consider after the new “1-2 punch.” Here’s a look at every running back on the roster, as of Monday…
Ezekiel Elliott
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Green Bay, WI; Aug. 19, 2023: New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott (15) greets teammates before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field. (Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)
Elliott didn’t play last in Saturday’s preseason game against the Green Bay Packers. It wasn’t a shock, since Elliott just arrived with the team earlier that week for joint practices.
Head coach Bill Belichick was asked about Elliott’s first week as a Patriot during a pregame interview with Scott Zolak on Saturday. Belichick indicated that Elliott will see an increase in workload during practice, which was originally scheduled to be joint practices with the Tennessee Titans before the team cancelled those on Sunday.
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Green Bay, WI: New England Patriots running back Ezekiel Elliott reacts before a preseason game against the Green Bay Packers at Lambeau Field on Aug. 19, 2023. (Benny Sieu-USA TODAY Sports)
“We’ll work him in probably a little more [this week],” Belichick said. “We’ll see how that goes. But, he’ll be ready to go [whenever he’s called upon]. Glad we have him.”
It remains unclear when Elliott will make his Patriots debut. There’s a clause in his contract that drops his salary from $1.55 million to $1 million if he suffers an injury before the start of the regular season, a possible indication that the Patriots intend to play him in the preseason at some point.