FRISCO, Texas — The first waves of the reunion of Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys are already being felt in the locker room, or at least by quarterback Trey Lance. Elliott began his offseason conditioning program donning his familiar No. 21 jersey, but he's since changed his mind on wearing it for the 2024 season.
Instead, he will move to the No. 15 for the first time in Dallas — the number he wore in his 2023 season with the New England Patriots to commemorate his career at Ohio State — meaning Lance will be assigned a new jersey for his second year with the club.
Lance, a former third-overall pick acquired by the Cowboys via 2023 trade with the San Francisco 49ers, will wear No. 19 going forward.
As for rookie sixth-round pick Ryan Flournoy, a receiver out of Southeast Missouri State, who was initially granted No. 19 — his new number has yet to be determined. It's likely that, at least for now, Flournoy wears a number duplicated by a defensive player, which is allowed by the NFL in non-game scenarios.
Here are the number assignments for the incoming rookie class, Flournoy notwithstanding:
Tyler Guyton - 60
Marshawn Kneeland - 94
Cooper Beebe - 56
Marist Liufau - 35
Caelen Carson - 41
Ryan Flournoy - TBD
Nathan Thomas - 62
Justin Rogers - 96
Elliott is clearly looking to put a fresh face on his second stint with the Cowboys, hoping for a resurgence, and the potential for it is echoed throughout the front office’s belief in its possibility.
It will be Year 9 for Elliott in the NFL, and Year 8 with the Cowboys, and his magic number is 15, not 21, this time around.
