NFL Rumors: Dallas Cowboys Prepared To Start 2019 Season Without Ezekiel Elliott, No Contract News

The Dallas Cowboys are running out of time if they hope to have Ezekiel Elliott on the field in Week 1. One day before the team’s final preseason game, the two sides don’t appear to be any closer to agreeing on a new contract.

Elliott has continued his holdout throughout the summer, looking for a new deal that would make him the NFL’s highest-paid running back. The 24-year-old is reportedly prepared to miss the 2019 regular season if he doesn’t get the extension he wants, and Dallas is making it sound like they are getting ready for that reality.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told 105.3 The Fan Wednesday morning that there is nothing new to report regarding contract negotiations with Elliott. Jones noted that there is no deadline for an agreement to be made, and Dallas is hoping to have the running back for a playoff run.

Dallas concludes the preseason Thursday night with a game at home against the Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The Cowboys kick off their regular season 10 days later at AT&T Stadium with a matchup against the New York Giants on Sept. 8.

Jerry Jones: I’m very comfortable with everything that I know about Ezekiel Elliott off the field.

“I’m very comfortable with off the field with Zeke. Let me be real clear.”

Jones said Zeke’s previous off the field issues “are not a factor here.” https://t.co/CVJ0qyVekD
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 28, 2019

Jerry Jones on @1053thefan: “We’ve got a marathon here. We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we’re in the dog days of this season.”
— Jon Machota (@jonmachota) August 28, 2019

Elliott has two years and close to $13 million left on his contract. He reportedly wants a deal that surpasses the $57.5 million over four years that Todd Gurley received last year.

A recent report by ESPN’s Ed Werder indicated that Dallas’ latest offer fell short of Gurley’s deal but is worth more than the four-year, $52.5 million contract Le’Veon Bell received from the New York Jets in the offseason.

It’s been expected that Elliott and Dallas would come to some sort of agreement before Week 1 of the regular season. Unlike Bell, who held out for the entirety of last season, Elliott can’t become a free agent in 2020.

Dallas hopes to compete for a Super Bowl, and Elliott is a major part of their plans. The running back has led the NFL in rushing yards per game in all three of his seasons since the Cowboys took him fourth overall in the 2016 draft.

Only three teams have more money to spend under the salary cap in 2019 than Dallas. The Cowboys are also working on contract extensions with Dak Prescott and Amari Cooper.