Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott Contract Negotiations Stall Again

It looked like the Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott were close to getting a new contract signed, sealed and delivered. However, things hit a snag over the weekend and both sides have to reset this week according to Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports. This doesn’t mean, the Cowboys and Elliott are now far apart from reaching a deal, but missing the season opener against the New York Giants is not out of the question.

“Dallas is frustrated with the last exchange,” Robinson said on Twitter. “After Saturday’s momentum, Cowboys expected more compromise to get a deal done today. Didn’t happen, so it’s on to Monday and a hopeful reset.”

The Cowboys know if they want to make a run at the Super Bowl, they need Elliott signed and ready for work. However, based on the latest comments from team owner Jerry Jones, Dallas is ready if Elliott does miss a game or two.

“We’ve got a marathon here,” Jones said via ESPN. “We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we’re in the dog days of this season. … A fresh Zeke, if we got to the end, would be great.”

“We have to be prepared to play without any given player,” Jones added. “We may very well play without a player that’s not coming in on his contract. We’ll play and play well.”

If Elliott is not available for the Cowboys opener on Sept. 8 against the New York Giants, they are confident in his replacement. Rookie running back Tony Pollard has had a strong preseason, rushing for 84 yards and one touchdown on 15 carries in three games. When asked by reporters about possibly starting against the Giants, Pollard said his only concern is to be at his best when his number is called this season.

“That’s not for me to worry about,” he said. “I’m just coming in being the best back I can be, doing whatever the team needs me to do.”

Pollard, who was drafted by the Cowboys in the fourth round this year from Memphis, want on to say he didn’t expect to see this much action right away.

“It’s not what I expected coming into this situation, but I always prepare to be ready for whatever,” he said. “Since this situation did happen, the way I that I prepare, I guess I was just ready for it and want to continue to make the most of it.”

The Cowboys are coming off a 10-6 season in 2018. They won the NFC East and reached the divisional round of the playoffs. Elliott was a big part of the team’s success, rushing for 1,434 yards and six touchdowns.