Hall of Fame wide receiver Terrell Owens just weighed in on the Ezekiel Elliott contract negotiations. Unsurprisingly, he is on the side of the running back and believes that he should be getting a hefty pay raise from the Dallas Cowboys. In fact, Owens believes that the team needs Zeke more than he needs them.
In an interview with TMZ Sports, T.O. weighed in on the entire contract situation, as well as whether or not the Dallas Cowboys can be viewed as a contender. “Pay the man,” Owens said while walking down the street. As he further explained, “he [Zeke] deserves it. One of the best in the league. Pay the man.”
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Owens has a rather unique history with the Dallas Cowboys. Whether he was crying while talking about Tony Romo in an interview, catching 15 touchdown passes in 2007 to set a franchise record, or recovering from an accidental overdose that was labeled as a suicide attempt by police, Owens was a headline machine during his days with America’s Team. Following the end of his NFL career, Owens is a still a divisive figure in Dallas. Some love him and wish he had finished his career with the Cowboys while many others are simply happy that he was suddenly released in 2009.
No matter what opinion is held about Owens, there is no denying that his opinion still carries a lot of weight with fans. And it will come as a positive sign that he believes Zeke deserves a pay raise for the work that he has put in throughout his three-year career.
If a deal can not be reached, however, the two-time Pro Bowl running back will be faced with the option of playing out the remaining two years of his rookie deal. Zeke is scheduled to make $3.85 million this season and $9.1 million in 2020, provided an extension is not reached.
Considering that he has accounted for 4,048 rushing yards and 34 total touchdowns in his career, Elliott is of the mindset that he should be paid like the best running back in the league. Todd Gurley of the Los Angeles Rams currently holds that title with an average salary just north of $14 million.
Owens completely agrees with Elliott in this scenario. He doesn’t necessarily believe that the Dallas Cowboys will be a Super Bowl contender, even if Elliott is on the field, but he has zero doubt that the former fourth overall pick has justified a significant pay raise.
