The Dallas Cowboys cut ties with Ezekiel Elliott earlier this month, ending a seven-year relationship with the former No. 4 overall draft pick and two-time NFL rushing champion.

The move was financial, with the Cowboys saving more than $10 million on the salary cap by releasing Elliott as a post-June 1 cut. But, as Dallas coach Mike McCarthy told NFL Network Insider Tom Pelissero on Monday at the Annual League Meeting, from a personal perspective, moving on from Elliott was much more difficult, Kevin Patra of NFL.com reports.

"You know, no one felt good about that," he said. "I mean, Zeke has such a bright light to him too. He's a great teammate. There's so much love for him in the building, but you get to these spots, you know, the longer you're in this league, these are tough decisions. Very difficult decisions. Very difficult for Dak (Prescott). You know, I've had a number of conversations with Dak, but it's not easy."

But Monday, McCarthy didn't close the door on Elliott possibly returning to Dallas.

"Yeah, definitely," he responded when Pelissero asked if the door was still open. "I think you always keep the door open. Absolutely."

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