After saying repeatedly that the Dallas Cowboys would not reset the market in signing running back Ezekiel Elliott to a contract extension, owner Jerry Jones has done just that.
Wednesday morning news broke that Elliott and the Cowboys had cut a deal on a six-year, $90 million extension with $50 million in guaranteed cash. If he plays through the whole deal, it will be worth $103 million. Elliott is now the highest paid running back in the NFL, making $15 million a season. Los Angeles Rams running back Todd Gurley did hold that title, making $14.375 million a year.
The #Cowboys & RB Ezekiel Elliott agree on a 6-year, $90M extension that makes him the highest-paid RB in the NFL, sources tell me and @SlaterNFL. Roughly half guaranteed. In all, it's $103M over 8 years—the 1st Cowboy to eclipse $100M in total value, the richest RB contract.
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 4, 2019
“Zeke has been arguably our best player,” Cowboys owner Jerry Jones told CNBC Wednesday morning. “I’m not trying to be unfair to anybody else. But he’s an incremental part to our success. We’re glad to get him booked in, we’re glad to have him on the team. And he plays a position that has some pretty interesting dynamics to it because running backs are short-lived, although we had what I consider to be one of the top five greatest ones in Emmitt Smith, and Emmitt ran the ball for 13 years. So you don’t have to have a four- or five-year career to be a running back. On the other hand, Zeke allows us to create such problems for the defense that then we can open it up to our passing, open it up for Dak Prescott.”
Dallas fans, rejoice!
Zeke secured the bag 💵 (via @thecheckdown)pic.twitter.com/OvYOWonLVu
— NFL on ESPN (@ESPNNFL) September 4, 2019
You can’t argue with any of that. Elliott touched the ball 47.9 percent of the time in Dallas’ offense last season. The All Pro running back led the league in carries with 304, rushing yards at 1,434 and yards per game at 95.6. He’s led the NFL in yards per game every year he’s been in the league and led it in rushing yards two of the three. He caught 77 passes last year for 567 yards and scored nine total touchdowns.
The Cowboys have set up a press conference for Thursday, and barring anything crazy, Elliott will suit up Sunday against the New York Giants.
