Ezekiel Elliott is the latest big-name starting running back to change teams late in his career. After the 2022-23 NFL season ended, the Dallas Cowboys made a huge decision and released Zeke. The main reason for the release was his lower production over the past two seasons and a rich contract that made him too expensive for the Cowboys. It was a still huge shock because he was one of the faces of the Cowboys organization, and he got his massive contract just a few years earlier.

This is nothing new in the NFL. Running backs have a short lifespan in the league, and there are several star running backs who changed teams and never again reached their previous level of production. Running backs put a lot of miles on their legs every season and take a ton of hits, so their NFL careers often stop before they turn 30.

Let's take a look at nine more star running backs like Zeke who changed teams late in their career - and how they produced for their new squads.

10 Emmitt Smith (Cowboys to Cardinals)

Emmitt Smith is one of the most prominent NFL running backs to switch teams late in his career. He broke the all-time NFL rushing record with the Dallas Cowboys, surpassing Walter Payton. He played with the Cowboys from 1990 to 2002 and padded his rushing record during two seasons with the Arizona Cardinals late in his career.

However, for Cowboys fans, it was jarring to see Emmitt in a different uniform in 2003 and 2004. He didn't seem like the same Emmitt Smith, rushing for only 256 yards and two touchdowns in his inaugural season in Arizona. Although he rebounded with a 937-yard season with nine touchdowns, his 3.5 yards-per-carry average remained well below his career norm. Smith continues to be the NFL's rushing leader, and remains synonymous with the Dallas Cowboys. His time with the Cardinals was a mere blip in his illustrious career.

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9 LaDainian Tomlinson (Chargers to Jets)

LaDainian Tomlinson was electrifying when he played for the San Diego Chargers. A first-round pick, he proved his worth to the Chargers throughout his career. He was selected for five Pro Bowls and secured the NFL rushing title twice. Although not particularly tall at 5-10, he was truly dynamic. His back-to-back seasons of 1,815 and 1,474 yards with 28 and 15 touchdowns were NFL bests in 2006 and 2007.

However, during the 2009 season, Tomlinson's pace slowed, resulting in a career-low 730 yards. The Chargers released Tomlinson, and he attempted to reignite his career with the New York Jets. The endeavor was unsuccessful. He rushed for 914 yards and scored six touchdowns in his first season, and then lost his starting position to Shonn Greene in 2011. Tomlinson wrapped up his final season with just 280 yards and a single touchdown before retiring. Despite the downturn, he was inducted into the Pro Football Hall of Fame in 2017.

8 Tony Dorsett (Cowboys to Broncos)

Tony Dorsett played a pivotal role in the Dallas Cowboys' late 1970s Super Bowl appearances. Drafted by the Cowboys in 1977, he was a key part of their Super Bowl victory against the Denver Broncos. Over the course of a single incredible year, he clinched the Heisman Trophy and a NCAA College Football National Championship with Pitt before earning the NFL Rookie of the Year award and a ring with the Cowboys.

The landscape changed in Dallas when the team acquired Herschel Walker from the USFL and attempted to utilize both Walker and Dorsett. By 1987, Walker began receiving more game time, prompting Dorsett to seek a change. The Cowboys traded him to the Denver Broncos in 1988, where he soon rose to second place on the NFL all-time running back list. However, after rushing for just 703 yards, he chose to retire following a single season with the Broncos.

7 Franco Harris (Steelers to Seahawks)

Franco Harris was a stalwart NFL running back for the Pittsburgh Steelers during the 1970s. Today, he's immortalized for one of the most iconic plays in NFL history, dubbed the "Immaculate Reception." But his legacy extends beyond that singular moment. In seven of his first eight seasons in Pittsburgh, he ran for over 1,000 yards, concluding his tenure there with 91 touchdowns and nearly 12,000 rushing yards.

Harris and Walter Payton were contemporaries, and both had the potential to break Jim Brown's rushing record. However, sensing that Harris's career was on the decline, the Steelers opted not to renew his contract in 1983. Consequently, Harris joined the Seattle Seahawks in his quest for the rushing title, but it eluded him. After accumulating only 170 yards in his sole season there and falling short of the rushing title by 192 yards, he announced his retirement.

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6 Adrian Peterson (Vikings to Redskins)

Adrian Peterson stood out as one of the NFL's premier running backs during his tenure with the Minnesota Vikings. Known for his resilience, many speculated he could outlast many of his peers. This belief seemed justified when, after tearing his ACL, he returned within a year to come tantalizingly close to breaking the single-season rushing record, missing by a mere eight yards. However, regardless of his durability and impressive statistics, the Vikings released him following the 2016 NFL season.

Peterson briefly played for the Arizona Cardinals and New Orleans Saints but was a shadow of his former self. The Washington Redskins provided him with an opportunity in 2018, resulting in his final 1,000-yard season. His tenure as a starter in Washington concluded in 2019, and after brief periods with the Detroit Lions, Tennessee Titans, and Seattle Seahawks, his career ended in 2021, ranking fifth on the NFL all-time rushing leaderboard with 14,918 yards.

5 Fred Taylor (Jaguars to Patriots)

The Jacksonville Jaguars selected Fred Taylor in the first round of the 1998 NFL Draft, acquiring a dynamic running back who would soon elevate their status as an expansion franchise. However, Taylor's vulnerability to injuries was a significant downside. Early in his career, injuries forced him to miss 23 out of 48 games. Despite these setbacks, he made a comeback, boasting five 1,000-yard campaigns between the 2002 and 2007 seasons.

After struggling to amass only 556 yards in 2008, the Jaguars released him, and he signed with the New England Patriots. However, this new chapter wasn't as fruitful as Taylor and the Patriots had hoped. Over the next two seasons, he managed just 424 yards, marking the end of his career in 2010.

4 Earl Campbell (Oilers to Saints)

There wasn't a more hard-nosed and driven running back in the NFL than Earl Campbell. After winning a Heisman Trophy with the Texas Longhorns, the Houston Oilers drafted Campbell with the first pick of the 1978 NFL Draft. In his first three seasons, he would go on to win Rookie of the Year and three straight Offensive Player of the Year Awards. He was also the main star in the Oilers' three straight playoff appearances, helping turn the team into perennial contenders.

However, in 1984, Houston shocked the NFL and their own fanbase by trading Campbell to the New Orleans Saints after the Oilers lost its first six games under new head coach Hugh Campbell. Despite re-uniting with former head coach Bum Phillips in New Orleans, Campbell was second to George Rogers on the team's running back rotation. In 1985, he finished with just 468 yards and four touchdowns, retiring at the end of the season.

3 Thurman Thomas (Bills to Dolphins)

Thurman Thomas joined the Buffalo Bills in 1988 and helped lead them to the Super Bowl in four straight seasons. He stuck around Buffalo for five more campaigns after the team's run of Super Bowl appearances ended, finishing his Bills career with just under 12,000 rushing yards and 4,400 receiving yards. He had eight straight 1,000-yard rushing seasons and was the only player in NFL history to lead the league in all-purpose yards four seasons in a row. However, his production dropped off in 1997 when he ran for a career-low 643 yards.

After two more seasons where he ran for 381 and 152 yards, the Bills finally let him go. Thomas tried to revive his career with the Miami Dolphins, but that didn't go as planned. He suffered a knee injury and finished with a total of 136 yards before retiring.

2 Le'Veon Bell (Steelers to Jets)

Le'Veon Bell was a huge star with the Pittsburgh Steelers, along with quarterback Ben Roethlisberger and receiver Antonio Brown. The trio were Super Bowl contenders every year they competed. However, both Brown and Bell wanted big contract extensions and the Steelers weren't able to pay both stars. Bell decided to hold out for an entire season and the Steelers wouldn't budge.

In his five seasons at Pittsburgh, Bell ran for 5,336 yards and 35 touchdowns. Despite top-tier production, Pittsburgh let Bell go after the holdout, and he would sign a big contract with the New York Jets. Bell ran for only 789 yards and three touchdowns, so the Jets cut him from the roster. He would play for three more teams in his final two seasons, retiring in 2021 before his 30th birthday.

1 Ezekiel Elliott (Cowboys to Patriots)

Ezekiel Elliott was a star running back for the Dallas Cowboys and a popular face of the franchise throughout his tenure in the Lone Star State. Over his seven years with the Cowboys, Elliott accumulated 8,262 yards during the regular season with 68 touchdowns, serving as the linchpin of the Cowboys offense. He surpassed 1,000 yards in four separate seasons, including a peak of 1,631 yards during his rookie year.

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In 2022, he ended up with career lows of 876 yards and 3.8 yards per carry, becoming expendable despite scoring 12 touchdowns. The Cowboys released Elliott in March, allowing him to sign with another team. He eventually joined the New England Patriots, where he'll share the backfield with the projected starting running back Rhamondre Stevenson. His role mirrors the one he had with Tony Pollard in Zeke's final season in Dallas. It remains to be seen how much he has left to offer in 2023.

All statistics courtesy of Pro Football Reference and all contract information courtesy of Spotrac unless stated otherwise.