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The Ezekiel Elliott era is over in Dallas.

The Cowboys have informed the veteran running back that he will be designated as a post-June 1 release in order to create cap space, according to multiple reports.

After rushing for a career-low 876 yards and averaging a career-low 3.9 yards per carry, while watching Tony Pollard surpass him as the team’s primary running back, a pay cut or release was inevitable.

And, as Fort Worth Star-Telegram staffer Clarence Hill Jr. notes, when the Cowboys gave Pollard the franchise tag of $10.1 million, ballooning the salary for the running back room to an NFL-record high $27.68 million in 2023, this day of reckoning was at hand.

While owner Jerry Jones said at the NFL Combine last month that he would like to find a way continue with Elliott and Pollard at running back in 2023, finding a number suitable for both sides proved to be a bridge too far.

Releasing Elliott as a post-June 1 cut will save the Cowboys more than $10 million, per Over the Cap.

Elliott ends his Cowboys career with 8,262 rushing yards and 68 rushing touchdowns and 80 total touchdowns, ranking third in franchise history in all three categories behind Hall of Famers Emmitt Smith and Tony Dorsett.

The NFL's second-leading active rusher -- 73 yards behind Derrick Henry -- now will hit the market for the first time in his career. We'll be watching for more on his future in coming days.