The Dallas Cowboys are set to begin training camp on Friday, and Ezekiel Elliott is unsure if he will attend.
Elliott wants a new contract prior to Week 1, which has led to talk that he could hold out from training camp. Ian Rapoport of NFL Media reports that “all options were on the table” as of Sunday and that Elliott genuinely has not made up his mind about training camp.
The #Cowboys report in 4 days, and it's not yet been decided whether RB Zeke Elliott will hold out. A look at what it would mean either way pic.twitter.com/hhC3ENFvVX
— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) July 22, 2019
Pro Football Talk’s Mike Florio has been reporting that Elliott has been saying privately that he will hold out without a new contract, and he is apparently planning to leave the country when training camp begins.
Elliott, who racked up more than 2,000 total yards from scrimmage in 2018, has two years remaining on his rookie contract. He is set to make $3.85 million this season and $9 million in 2020. He obviously wants to be paid like one of the top running backs in football, which means he is looking for something in the $13 or $14 million per year range that Todd Gurley, Le’Veon Bell and David Johnson make.
While he got himself into some more trouble off the field this offseason, Elliott is not facing disciplinary action from the NFL. He probably feels that gives him more leverage in contract talks, so that could play a role in the negotiations.
