It looks like the Ezekiel Elliott drama will come to an end very soon. On the ESPN show Get Up, NFL reporter Jeff Darlington sayas the Dallas Cowboys star running back is expected to have a new contract before the season begins, which is in two weeks.
“From what I understand, this deal is getting done,” Darlington said.
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He went on to say that he was talking to a source who predicted three months ago that Elliott would hold out. It’s likely that Elliot won’t be the highest-paid running back in the league, but it’s possible he could get a bigger contract than Le’Veon Bell who is with the New York Jets and recently signed a four-year $52 million deal.
A source tells @JeffDarlington that the Ezekiel Elliott deal “is getting done.” pic.twitter.com/IIpHlzdfsh
— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) August 22, 2019
“This is a win for Ezekiel Elliott,” Darlington added. “If he gets the big pay-bump this year and doesn’t have to hold out next year or even the year after that, this is a win for Ezekiel Elliott. He will be back by Week One.”
It looked like a deal wasn’t going to come soon based on recent events. Last week, the Cowboys defeated the Los Angeles Rams in a preseason game and rookie running back Tony Pollard rushed for 42 yards and one touchdown. After the game, reporters asked Cowboys owner Jerry Jones if Pollard is his best negotiator with Elliott, to which he replied, “Zeke who?”
Elliott was not happy with that comment from Jones. ESPN reported the Ohio State alumn and his agent, Rocky Arceneaux, were not happy with the comment Jones made: “I didn’t think it was funny and neither did Zeke — we actually thought it was disrespectful.” On Monday, Jones responded with “I’ve earned the right with Zeke to joke, period. I’ve earned it.”
Elliott has two years remaining on his current deal and he’s scheduled to make $3.8 million this season and more than $9 million on his fifth-year option in 2020. But with Elliott emerging as one of the top running backs in the league he wants to get paid like it.
The Ohio State alum was selected by the Cowboys No. 4 overall in the 2016 NFL Draft. In his three seasons in Dallas, Elliott has rushed for 4,048 yards and 28 touchdowns. He has led the NFL in rushing yards in 2016 and 2018 and he has led the NFL in rush yards per carry the last three seasons.
