Rumors of an impending contract extension for Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott have been swirling for days, but the end does appear to be in sight. In fact, the goal right now is for Elliott to rejoin his team at practice and play on Sunday in the season opener against the New York Giants. Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, said as much when the pair arrived in Dallas on a flight from Cabo.
Is Zeke ready to re-join the Cowboys?
“I’ve been ready.”
(via @MikeLeslieWFAA, h/t @brgridiron)pic.twitter.com/NncSFrcUbT
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 3, 2019
According to Michael Gehlken of the Dallas Morning News, Arceneux said that the deal was “very, very close” and that both sides are committed to getting it done. He believes that Elliott can ultimately play on Sunday when the games begin to matter. During a brief interaction with fans at the airport, Zeke confirmed that he has been ready to rejoin the Cowboys and get to work.
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“I think Zeke showed his commitment by coming back to Dallas,” Arceneaux told reporters on Tuesday. “So we didn’t come here not to do a deal. I think he’s committed, and both sides are.”
With that bombshell dropped, Arceneaux headed off to complete negotiations with the Dallas Cowboys and land his client a massive contract that will make him the highest-paid running back in the league. Unfortunately, he wouldn’t provide a timeline other than saying that the deal is close, even when pressed for more information.
“Very, very close.”
-Zeke Elliott’s agent Rocky Arceneaux on the state of Elliott’s contract negotiations with the Cowboys.#ZekeWatch pic.twitter.com/M9WszELeS0
— Joe Trahan (@JoeTrahan) September 3, 2019
At this point in the timeline, it’s far more likely that Elliott is putting a pen to paper on Tuesday night, but that is yet to be determined. There is still a considerable amount of work that must be done before both sides agree to the terms of Zeke’s extension, but it is looking more and more likely that it will be done in time for the star running back to suit up on Sunday.
According to Calvin Watkins of the Dallas Morning News, the team worked a bit on the game plan for Week 1 during Monday’s practice, but the full install won’t take place until Wednesday. If Elliott is to participate in the opening week of the season, showing up for this session is critical. He and his agent will be pushing to reach this goal on Tuesday evening as negotiations continue. Will an agreement be reached within hours? The answer is unknown, but the prospects are promising.
