The end is in sight for the Dallas Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott. At least, that’s what is being reported. Saturday morning, ESPN’s Adam Schefter broke the news that the contract talks had intensified between the team and the star running back, and he said that the goal was to have the deal done over the weekend. With Monday serving as a holiday in the United States, this meant that the contract negotiations would likely have to wrap up on either Saturday or Sunday.
Well, no deal was completed on Saturday, but the resolution is still within reach. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported on Sunday morning that the Cowboys are close to completing a contract extension for Elliott. As he explained, he was not “speculating” about the timeline. He was reporting. There have been constant rumors swirling about a potential deal since Schefter’s report on Saturday, but Robinson was making it very clear that he had actual information.
Videos by PopCulture.com
The #Cowboys are close to completing a contract extension with running back Ezekiel Elliott. I’m reporting this. Not speculating it.
— Charles Robinson (@CharlesRobinson) September 1, 2019
What this means is that the Cowboys are on the cusp of making Elliott the highest-paid running back in the entire NFL. He entered the offseason intending to top the contract held by Los Angeles Rams star Todd Gurley, but early negotiations did not lead to that end. Instead, Elliott was forced to depart for Cabo and kick off a holdout that lasted throughout training camp and into the preseason.
If this deal does indeed get done over the next few hours, the concern will no longer be over Elliott missing time but will instead switch to whether or not he is ready to roll. Hall of Fame running back Marshall Faulk told Dan Patrick that Elliott may not be in the form to perform at the level everyone is accustomed to after holding out during training camp and the preseason. That being said, getting a deal done earlier would be best so he could attack the entire week of practice with his team in an effort to get ready.
No matter what happens with the extension, the Cowboys do feel confident in the abilities of rookie Tony Pollard. The youngster from Memphis was set to be the starter upon an Elliott holdout, but he will now serve as a key rotational player. If Zeke can’t maintain his full workload over the first two weeks, Pollard will be called upon frequently to carry the offense.
