Ezekiel Elliott's gamble paid off exactly how he wanted.
The superstar running back signed a six-year, $90 million deal with the Dallas Cowboys on Wednesday, ending his weeks-long holdout from the team just days before its season-opener. Just because player and management finally reached an agreement, though, doesn't necessarily mean Elliott is pleased with the role Jerry Jones played in the hoopla surrounding negotiations.
In fact, Ezekiel Elliott didn't even speak with the Cowboys owner immediately before or after putting pen to paper.
“Honestly, I didn’t talk to Jerry at all,” he said, per Pro Football Talk's Charean Williams. “Uh, I’m happy to talk to him.”
The two-time Pro Bowler was then asked about friction between he and Jones over the past few weeks. While he hardly excused Jones' incendiary comments concerning his holdout, contract status, and value to the Cowboys, Elliott ultimately took the high road.
“It’s just negotiations. You’ve got to get through it. We’re good,” he said. “…I mean, that’s so far behind us. We signed a deal, so there’s no point in talking about that other stuff.”
Last month, Elliott's agent, Rocky Arcenaux, expressed public distaste with Jones' quip of “Zeke who?” following an impressive performance by Dallas rookie runner Tony Pollard in a preseason game. Shortly thereafter, Jones publicly mused on radio about the precedent being set by players “refusing to honor” their existing contracts.
Elliott's new deal makes him the highest-paid running back in football, a status he sought throughout contract discussions. He led the league in rushing last season with 1,434 yards on 304 carries.
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