ESPN analyst and ex-Cowboy rips team for paying Ezekiel Elliott, not Dak Prescott

The Dallas Cowboys have desperately needed Ezekiel Elliott to step up this season with Dak Prescott out, and the star running back has not answered the call. Marcus Spears feels that is further proof that the team made a mistake by giving Elliott a massive contract and letting Prescott play under the franchise tag.

Spears, who played for the Cowboys for almost his entire career before going on to work at ESPN, said on Tuesday’s edition of “Get Up!” that it infuriates him that Jerry Jones paid Elliott and still has not hammered out a long-term deal with Prescott.

“It further p—es me off. We’re talking about Zeke Elliott getting his money after going to Cabo and Dak Prescott still doesn’t have his check. It is crazy to me that that is transpiring,” Spears said.

Spears was referring to how Elliott held out prior to the 2019 season and trained on his own in Mexico. The Cowboys eventually gave him a six-year, $90 million deal.

Elliott has only one game this season in which he has rushed for more than 100 yards. He’s still on pace for more than 1,000 yards, but he’s averaging a career-worst 3.9 yards per carry. Spears said a running back earning an average of $15 million per season should be able to overcome the obstacles Dallas has faced.

“Zeke was supposed to be the shining armor with everything that transpired. He was supposed to overcome the offensive line (problems),” Spears said. “I know it’s a tough situation for Zeke Elliott, but he was supposed to be the mainstay and the catalyst around the turmoil that’s going on in that franchise right now. He’s not living up to it.”

You can hear Spears’ full remarks below:

"[The Cowboys] have a Zeke problem."

And @mspears96 is UPSET about it pic.twitter.com/y2XSd7nbcI

— Get Up (@GetUpESPN) December 15, 2020

Spears played for the Cowboys for eight seasons, and this is far from the first time he has blasted them on the air. He also went off on a Dallas player over some boneheaded remarks earlier this season.

Elliott is still one of the best running backs in the NFL, but his down season is a reminder that even the elite players struggle when their teams are unbalanced.