Ezekiel Elliott Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

The Dallas Cowboys parted ways with running back Ezekiel Elliott earlier this month, and it sounds like they did not make much of an effort to keep him.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones admitted Monday that the team never actually approached Elliott about reworking his contract in order to keep him. Jones said the Cowboys would be interested in bringing Elliott back if the market develops that way, however.

In other words, the Cowboys did not even ask if Elliott would be interested in re-negotiating his deal into something that could keep him on the team. Perhaps they figured it was pointless, or had been given indications from Elliott that there was no reason to bother. Either way, it suggests that the Cowboys were not too pained to move on from their former first-round pick.

Elliott seems to be struggling to find a landing spot after his release. A return to Dallas is unlikely, but it is at least on the table as long as he remains unsigned.

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Latest report provides hint on Cowboys' feelings about Ezekiel Elliott reunion