When the Dallas Cowboys face off against the New York Giants come Sunday, Ezekiel Elliott will be in the backfield.
After holding out of a training camp for a new contract, even going as far as to leave the country to get away train on his own, the star RB has inked a new deal just one day before the new season.
Cowboys feeding RB Ezekiel Elliott a six-year contract extension that ties him to Dallas for the next eight seasons, through the 2026 season, per source.
— Adam Schefter (@AdamSchefter) September 4, 2019
Zeke and his camp have gone back and fourth via negotiations over recent weeks, mirroring the banter between the two, especially from that of Jerry Jones. The Cowboys owner made it known on multiple occasions that he did not feel as if paying the price for a star at the running back position wasn’t necessary for a Super Bowl team. Jones even went on record “Zeke who” following a preseason win without Elliott.
Regardless, with Jones aging and this window being the most realistic time for him to capture another Super Bowl, it was essentially his only choice.
Elliott’s new contract tops that of Rams RB Todd Gurley’s $14.375 million annual average, making the former fourth overall pick the new highest paid at his position in league history.
Despite all the bluster from Jerry and/or Stephen Jones, here’s the reality: Every game they play without Elliott makes the Cowboys more likely to lose, and every loss in September or October can come back to haunt the Cowboys when it’s time to figure out who makes the playoffs, whether those games are played at home, and whether there’s a chance to rest for a week before entering the elimination round. So this deal is likely getting done, and today is the most likely day to do it.
