Ezekiel Elliott has naturally drawn comparisons to Emmitt Smith since being drafted fourth overall in 2016. But the retired running back is tired of people saying his 1993 contract situation is similar to what Elliott is going through this summer.
After the Dallas Cowboys demolished the Buffalo Bills 52-17 in Super Bowl XXVII, Smith had a contract dispute with team heading into the 1993 season. Smith was unable to work out a new deal with team owner Jerry Jones until after Week 2, at which point Dallas was 0-2. Unlike Elliott, however, Smith had already played out his contract and therefore was not technically a holdout. During a recent interview with The Post Game, the Hall of Famer defiantly reminded people that “there is nothing similar” about his 1993 situation and Elliott’s current dispute with the Cowboys.
Message from @dallascowboys icon @EmmittSmith22: Don't compare my situation in 1993 to holdouts of Ezekiel Elliott and Melvin Gordon. "There's a distinct difference." pic.twitter.com/g0ziOdSOy0
— ThePostGame (@ThePostGame) August 10, 2019
“If you do your research and do your studies, you’ll find out that Emmitt Smith was never a holdout,” Smith said. “Although the propaganda would say I was a holdout, the reality is my contract was fulfilled and I was negotiating. I wasn’t holding out. … When you don’t have a contract and you’re unemployed, all you can do is negotiate.”
While Smith has a point, the situations do have natural similarities in that they both involve star running backs and the Cowboys. Jones is also still the owner and GM of the team, and he seems to be handling Zeke’s negotiations like he did with Smith 26 years ago. In fact, he even made a reference to the Smith situation that probably didn’t sit well with Elliott.
Regardless, you can understand why Smith wants to point out the difference. Elliott is not fulfilling his contractual obligations, whereas Smith had no contract. That’s an important distinction.
