With rise of Pollard, has Elliott played last game for Cowboys? –

FRISCO, Texas — The question was posed to Ezekiel Elliott minutes after the Dallas Cowboys’ season ended with a divisional-round playoff loss to the San Francisco 49ers.

What is the running back’s future with the Cowboys?

“Definitely thought about it,” he said. “I want to be here. I don’t have a crystal ball. Can’t tell you the future, but definitely want to be here.”

Elliott understands the business side of the NFL more than most.

That’s why he held out of training camp in 2019. Being a running back with a ton of work in his first three years (25.1 touches per game), he knew he had to strike as soon as possible even if the Cowboys had him under contractual control through the 2020 season. When the Cowboys selected Elliott at No. 4 overall in the 2016 draft, they effectively guaranteed him a second contract.

On Sept. 4, 2019, Elliott signed a six-year extension worth $90 million and guaranteed him $50 million.

The Cowboys hoped that by going in early on Elliott’s second contract, they could have him at his peak levels before he turned 30, when most running backs fall off the pace.

Elliott turns 28 in July. He is set to make a base salary of $10.9 million, which is not guaranteed. If the Cowboys release him, they save $4.86 million. If they designate him a post-June 1 cut, they will save $10.9 million, but he will count a little more than $6 million against the 2024 salary cap.

Asked at his end-of-season news conference about the running game and Elliott, coach Mike McCarthy demurred. Filling coaching vacancies is a bigger deal at the moment.

“I’m not really ready to dive into all that. I don’t know when the next time we talk, but, yeah, we’re just getting [started],” McCarthy said. “We haven’t turned a cut-up on. We haven’t even had a postseason personnel meeting. I understand…