Ezekiel Elliott One Step Closer to Record New Deal

Ezekiel Elliott is edging closer to becoming the highest paid running back in the NFL. The clock is ticking though, with 5 days until Sunday. 

The Dallas Cowboys have been trying to extend Ezekiel Elliott, among others, all summer. Ezekiel Elliott has been holding out from team activities while continuing to train in Cabo.

It has been a struggle for the Cowboys to tie down their biggest stars. So much so, that ‘some progress’ made on a new deal is significant news.

That’s what was made with Elliott’s new contract over the weekend – ‘some progress’. 

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NFL Network’s Ian Rapoport summarized the situation on Monday:

“From what I’m told, Ezekiel Elliott’s camp and the Cowboys negotiated all weekend trying to strike a deal that would eventually make him the highest-paid running back in football,” Rapoport said. 

“I’m told there has been some progress there. They’re not there yet. Certainly, there has been plenty of frayed nerves along the way, plenty of those. But both sides are trying to get this thing done before the season starts. Today obviously will be a huge, huge day, the start of the game week. And the Cowboys would like him in sooner rather than later.”

With their first game of the season fast approaching, the Cowboys are under pressure to get the deal done. However, making Zeke the richest RB in the NFL is not as simple as just throwing a lot of money at him.

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“It’s been a little bit of a roller coaster with the Cowboys and Ezekiel Elliott’s representation,” Rapoport said. 

“Zeke, by the way, still in Cabo, still staying away, still making sure he’s in shape and the Cowboys and Elliott’s people have talked regularly through the weekend to try to get this deal done. They have made progress, they certainly have made progress and as you know until a deal is done there really is not much to say.

“It’s not just the overall number, obviously Zeke wants to be the highest-paid running back in the NFL … it’s really about the cash flow, as well because averaging $15 million is one thing but if it’s  a backloaded deal, it probably doesn’t make a lot of sense for Zeke because he may not see that on the backend anyway.”