Jerry Jones Says He's Expecting Cowboys RB Ezekiel Elliott to Miss Regular-Season Games
By Michael Luciano
Just two days ago, Dallas Cowboys owner Jerry Jones made a bold proclamation to fans at Dallas' annual kickoff luncheon, asserting the disgruntled running back Ezekiel Elliott will return to the team in time for the start of the regular season.
That bold prediction didn't even make it to the end of the week before Jones had to reverse course. He's now operating under the assumption Elliott will miss regular-season games.
From @gmfb: While #Cowboys owner Jerry Jones talks openly about planning for Zeke Elliott to miss games, the team has continued to work behind the scenes to find a solution. pic.twitter.com/XMZxfBqZY7
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) August 30, 2019
Elliott, who led the league in rushing for the second time in three seasons in 2018, has been training away from the team in Mexico as he continues to hold out for a deal that makes him the highest-paid running back in the league.
While insiders including Jay Glazer have expressed optimism that Elliott will return sooner rather than later, the team is bracing for a holdout that extends into late October.
Jerry Jones' comments from Wednesday suggest that the Cowboys are bracing for a six-week regular season holdout by Ezekiel Elliott https://t.co/MCE0j9BS8c
— ProFootballTalk (@ProFootballTalk) August 29, 2019
Elliott's contract negotiations are in uncharted territory. As each day passes, the running back becomes more and more irritated and it's looking like he's ready to take this holdout deep into the regular season.