Patriots fans are anxious to see Ezekiel Elliott in action after the two-time rushing champion signed with the club earlier this week. Bill Belichick, however, isn't making any declarations regarding Elliott, his role in the offense and how much he will play in the Patriots' final two preseason games.
Belichick discussed Elliott following the Patriots' first joint practice with the Packers. Elliott, who arrived in Green Bay shortly after signing his new contract, took part in the Patriots' walk-through while also doing some drills with the other running backs.
"We had a good visit with him, and I look forward to working with him," Belichick said of Elliott, who finished his Cowboys career as the franchise's third all-time leading rusher behind Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.
But what will Elliott bring to the Patriots? And when can Patriots fans expect to see him on the field?
"We'll see," Belichick said. "I've never coached Zeke before. Glad we have him. … We'll work him in there when he's ready and we'll see how that goes."
Belichick said the first step for Elliott is learning the New England's plays and terminology. While some veterans have been able to get a quick grasp on the Patriots' offense (see: Randy Moss and Corey Dillon), others (i.e. Chad Johnson) never got comfortable with New England's offense. Like those players, Elliott's contributions to the Patriots will largely depend on how fast and how well he acclimates himself to the system.
Rhamondre Stevenson, the Patriots' starting running back, is excited to see what Elliott can bring to the team. Stevenson, who called Elliott "my guy," said the two have been close since meeting each other back in 2021.
"I wouldn't really compare us together," Stevenson said, "but I feel like our game's going to complement each other very well."
Stevenson alluded to Damien Harris when discussing being part of notable running back duos. Stevenson played alongside Harris for his first two NFL seasons prior to Harris signing with the Bills this offseason. Harris got the bulk of the work in 2021, but the roles were reversed last season, when Stevenson tallied 1,040 rushing yards and nearly 1,500 all-purpose yards while averaging a cool 5.0 yards per carry.
Sounding like a true Patriot, Stevenson isn't worried about his role changing with Elliott's arrival.
"Whatever the team needs me to do," he said. "If they need me out there more, I'm reliable to do that. If they need me out there less to keep all the running backs fresh, things like that, I'm with that, too. Just whatever the coach wants."
For now, it appears Stevenson's role won't change much with the arrival of Elliott, whose knowledge of the playbook will help determine his role in the offense.
