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Dallas Cowboys running back Ezekiel Elliott did not show up for the first day of training camp on Friday, as he is looking for a new contract.
However, Cowboys owner Jerry Jones doesn't seem too concerned about Elliott's absence, saying it's “not alarming” and adding that if he “flared or knee jerked” at every deal, he'd be a bad manager, according to Jori Epstein of USA TODAY.
While Jones certainly makes a good point in saying that you can't make rash decisions as an executive, this also may very well be lip service on the part of Jones as a means of deflecting attention away from Elliott's holdout.
All of that being said, Elliott's decision not to show up for the first day of camp does not come as much of a surprise, as it has been public knowledge for quite some time that the halfback is seeking a new deal.
Elliott has two years remaining on his current contract and is scheduled to make $3.9 million in 2019 and $9.1 million in 2020, the latter of which is the fifth-year option that Dallas picked up.
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The 24-year-old is coming off of a 2018 campaign in which he led the league with 1,434 rushing yards while punching in six touchdowns and averaging 4.7 yards per carry. In addition, he hauled in 77 receptions for 567 yards and three scores, making the Pro Bowl as a result.
Elliott, who played his collegiate football at Ohio State, was originally selected by the Cowboys with the fourth overall pick of the 2016 NFL Draft.
He went on to lead the NFL with 1,631 yards on the ground during his rookie year, racking up 15 touchdowns and earning a Pro Bowl appearance and a First-Team All-Pro selection in the process.
The St. Louis native was then limited to just 10 games in 2017 due to a six-game suspension.
