“Zeke who?” This little quip from Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones is one that kickstarted a firestorm of criticism during the preseason despite him maintaining that it was an innocent little joke. Reporters at the preseason game between the Cowboys and the Los Angeles Rams found Jones’ comment to be entertaining, but neither Zeke or many fans were pleased with the attempt at humor. In fact, Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, even said that the joke was disrespectful.
Now, however, “Zeke who?” falls under the territory of “no harm, no foul.” At least, that’s how Elliott explained the situation to reporters on Wednesday. The $90 million running back was asked for a comment about this infamous joke, and he dismissed it without a thought.
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According to Elliott, “That’s so far behind us. We signed a deal, so there’s really no point of talking about that other stuff.”
Interestingly enough, Elliott did explain during the media availability that he actually hasn’t spoken to Jones since returning to Dallas and signing his contract. The team owner has been busy in New York, along with executive vice president Stephen Jones, so the lack of discussions was expected.
The Cowboys have scheduled a press conference for Thursday to formally unveil the contract, so both Jones and Elliott should be present together to field questions. Will reporters ask either one about the “Zeke who” comment, or will they agree with the wealthy running back and avoid discussing something that is in the past?
Ultimately, it won’t matter if the reporters opt to ask about Jones’ joke. In the end, both sides got what they wanted, and now the team can move forward to the regular season. Yes, there was some strife caused by “Zeke who,” but the kerfuffle didn’t derail the money train. Zeke still got paid, and the Cowboys secured a key position on the roster.
For Elliott, getting this deal done was critical. He entered the offseason program facing an uncertain future in Dallas. He had two seasons remaining on his rookie deal, but there was a concern that the team would simply run him into the ground and then let him test free agency. Signing this six-year extension guarantees his future with the team for at least the next four seasons.
Instead of focusing on the future and what could happen, Zeke can instead put all of his energy into getting better on a daily basis and helping his team reach the Super Bowl. In the end, that’s what both sides wanted.
