Dallas Cowboys Reveal When They Want Ezekiel Elliott on the Field

Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones hasn’t successfully negotiated a new deal with running back Ezekiel Elliott just yet, but the team’s timeline has been revealed. Interestingly enough, Monday evening or Tuesday morning is no longer the end date. The Cowboys just want to get the extension inked in order for Elliott to leave Cabo and make it back to Texas in time to practice with his teammates.

According to NFL Network insider Ian Rapoport, the new end date for these contract negotiations has now been set for Wednesday. This is the first real practice session of the week leading up to Sunday’s game against the New York Giants, and the team wants Zeke back in uniform and participating. It’s difficult to tell if the team and Elliott will reach this goal, but the hope is that he will be back with the team and ready in time to face off with the despised NFC East rival.

“The Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott’s representation worked through the weekend, trying to get this deal done,” Rapoport said, “talking regularly, exchanging proposals, trying to make sure that they could get to a contract agreement that would put Zeke back on the field by Wednesday, the first real practice of the game week. They made progress, I’m told. They are not there yet, but the hope, Scott [Hanson], is that when this gets done and Ezekiel Elliott is the highest-paid running back in football, that he will rejoin his team ready to go.”

Rapoport finished his explanation by stating that it would be a tense couple of days, but the deal was still within reach. Of course, the bigger question at this point is whether or not it can be achieved prior to the goal of Wednesday.

By multiple reports, including one by Mike Leslie of WFAA, the two sides did talk on Monday, but they did not make much progress. A source close to Elliott believes that a deal is imminent, but the front office is currently maintaining that no progress has been made.

At this point in the negotiations, it’s difficult to determine which source is entirely accurate, but the fact remains that the team and the fans alike want Elliott back in the building as soon as possible. He is a game-changing talent at running back and will be integral to the offense in this make-or-break season for head coach Jason Garrett. The Dallas Cowboys have expectations of a deep playoff run and a possible appearance in Super Bowl LIV, but achieving both will be far more difficult without Elliott.