Signed during the offseason in free agency, Ezekiel Elliott opened his encore performance with the Cowboys last Sunday in the victory over the Browns. In his second debut wearing the Star, he rushed for 40 yards off 10 carries, which included a 3-yard touchdown run.
Elliott, though, isn't the first to have enjoyed two tenures in Dallas. He actually joins a short list of 20 other players whose time spent with the Cowboys was split between different stretches. Those include former impact contributors like Larry Brown, Alvin Harper, Brandon Carr and Danny McCray.
However, here are the 10 best to do it, players who saw at least some success in both of their stints in Dallas:
With his game last Sunday in Cleveland, Ezekiel Elliott became the 21st player in franchise history to suit up for a second stint in Dallas. From that list, here are the 10 best.
Jason Witten • 2003-17; 2019
When Witten first retired from football in 2018 to pursue a career in broadcasting, he was already the franchise's all-time leader in catches and receiving yards. But after one season with ESPN, he returned to the field, starting all 16 games for the Cowboys in 2019 and finishing fourth on the team in receiving yards (529). Witten would play one more season in 2020 for the Raiders before officially calling it a career.
Brett Maher • 2018-19; 2022
Maher burst onto the Dallas scene in 2018 by converting 80.6 percent of his field goal attempts, but he stumbled the next season and was not brought back for 2021. Surprisingly, Maher was then signed again for 2022, and converted 90.6 percent of his field goal tries overall, ranking eighth in the NFL. But when he then missed five of six extra-point attempts in the playoffs, his time with the Cowboys was done.
Keith Davis • 2002; 2004-08
The fact Davis was even able to play a second stint with the Cowboys is amazing in and of itself. Following his rookie year of 2002, he was shot during an altercation and subsequently released by Bill Parcells. But in 2004, the head coach gave him a second chance, and Davis took advantage. He would miss only four games over the next five years in Dallas, becoming a key contributor at safety and on special teams.
Cooper Rush • 2017-19; 2020-24
Rush's time away from Dallas certainly didn't last long. The team's backup quarterback for three season from 2017-19 was claimed off waivers in May 2020 by the Giants and their new offensive coordinator, Jason Garrett. But after being released by New York in September, Rush re-signed with the Cowboys. Since then, he's become one of the most reliable second-string QBs in the game, posting a 5-1 career record when Dak Prescott has been absent.
Tony Casillas • 1991-93; 1996-97
A trade with Atlanta brought Casillas to Dallas in 1991, and he immediately became an integral part of the team's formidable defensive line rotation. He recorded at least 50 tackles in each of the next three seasons while helping the Cowboys to a pair of Super Bowl titles. Following a two-year stint with the Jets, Casillas then returned to Texas in 1996 and finished up his career in 1997 with 38 tackles and three sacks.
George Teague • 1996; 1998-2001
Teague's first stint was actually the shorter of his two in Dallas. Signed as a free agent in 1996, he finished that season with 70 tackles, but salary cap issues prevented the team from re-signing him. Flash forward two years later, though, and Teague was back for the 1998 season. He would go on to play four more years with the Cowboys, his best effort coming in 1999 when he had a career-high 75 tackles.
Kelvin Martin • 1987-92; 1996
A solid wideout for the Cowboys, Martin is one of only 22 players in franchise history with at least 3,000 receiving yards. But his true bread and butter was punt returns. He spent six seasons in Dallas from 1987-92 and then left in free agency, only to return for one more year in 1996. In that final effort, he finished fourth in the NFL in punt returns (41) and sixth in punt return yards (373).
Mark Stepnoski • 1989-94; 1999-2001
The Cowboys' third-round draft pick in 1989, Stepnoski would simply become one of the best centers in club annals. The offensive line's leader won a pair of Super Bowls and earned three Pro Bowl invites before signing as a free agent with Houston in 1995. Five years later, he made a successful return to Dallas, finishing out his career with three more campaigns that saw him start all 42 games he played.
Herschel Walker • 1986-89; 1996-97
Prior to the 1989 trade that sent him to Minnesota, Walker earned Pro Bowl honors with the Cowboys in both 1978-88. However, he eventually returned to Dallas in 1996 to serve as the team's kick returner, and would go on to rank second in the NFL in kick return average (28.9) in that first year. Walker then finished sixth in kick returns (50) and seventh in kick return yards (1,167) in 1997 before retiring.
Ed "Too Tall" Jones • 1974-78; 1980-89
Jones' one-year absence from the Cowboys was unlike any other. The first overall pick in the 1974 draft, he had enjoyed five impressive season with Dallas, but retired in 1979 to pursue his true passion – boxing. After posting a 6-0 record as a pugilist, Too Tall then decided maybe football wasn't so bad and returned in 1980. He would miss only one game over the next 10 seasons, earning Pro Bowl honors three times.
