Ezekiel Elliott reportedly flying back to Dallas as extension talks heat up

Ezekiel Elliott and the Dallas Cowboys are still trying to hammer out a contract extension before Week 1, and it would appear the star running back thinks there’s a chance of that happening.

Elliott has been away from the Cowboys training on his own in Mexico, but he is reportedly flying back to Dallas on Tuesday. The reason for that is he wants to be close to the team in case an extension is finalized.

#Cowboys RB Zeke Elliott, who has been in Cabo since training camp began, is flying back to the Dallas area in case his extension gets done, sources say. The deal is not done. Some obstacles remain. But he will be in town if it gets finalized.

— Ian Rapoport (@RapSheet) September 3, 2019

There have been wide-ranging reports about where Elliott and the Cowboys currently stand, but the fact that Elliott is flying back to Dallas is a positive sign. If the two sides were not making any progress, he would probably know by now that he is not going to play in Week 1. Charles Robinson of Yahoo Sports reported that there was a “more positive day” with contract talks on Monday.

Even though Jerry Jones has taken some public shots at Elliott, the goal remains the same. Zeke wants to be the highest-paid running back in football, and the Cowboys want to have their best roster on the field in Week 1. Whether Elliott misses Week 1 or not, it seems like there has been enough momentum that his holdout is nearing a close.