The most overrated player on each of the Commanders’ NFC East rivals

2. Ezekiel Elliott

Like the Eagles, the Cowboys had several worthy candidates for the most overrated title. Dak Prescott, for example, is without question a top-10 quarterback but has struggled against playoff teams in his career. Then there’s Trevon Diggs, who’s penchant for interceptions is sometimes overshadowed by his propensity to get beat on double moves and give up chunk yards.

But, come on. If you watched Dallas last season and weren’t left with the conclusion that Tony Pollard was the more effective RB than Elliott, you need to get your eyes checked. Yes, Elliott played banged up, but that was his decision and the end result was him averaging a lowly 4.2 yards per carry.

Over the last two seasons, Elliott has clearly lost a step. Still just 26 years old, that can be attributed to his massive workload over his four years. In 2020 and ’21, however, he’s averaged a combined 4.1 YPC. Not what you’d expect from a supposed top-shelf RB who plays behind a dominant offensive line.

To make matters worse, Zeke’s playing on a contract that’s crippled the Cowboys beyond belief from a financial standpoint. For context, his $50 million in guaranteed money is nearly $15 million (!) more than the next-highest-paid RB (Christian McCaffrey) and his dead caps over the last three years have equaled $102.38 million.

Elliott’s been an indispensable piece of Dallas’ offense since he was drafted, but the franchise made its own mess by giving him a huge contract. Paying running backs almost never pans out and isn’t conducive to winning Super Bowls and Elliott is just one in a laundry list of examples that prove that.