If Ezekiel Elliott doesn’t get a new contract, he will “hold out” of Cowboys training camp later this month, according to Pro Football Talk.
Citing “a league source,” writer Mike Florio says that Elliott has privately told people he will not participate in camp without a new deal to replace the two years remaining on his 2016 rookie contract.
“If Elliott indeed intends to hold out, he’s smart,” Florio wrote. “He has significant value now, and after the next two years his worth to the franchise could plummet — either due to the wear and tear of playing tailback or a possible shift in offensive philosophy away from the team’s run-to-set-up-the-pass-but-still-run-a-lot strategy.”
Elliott stands to earn $3.86 million this year and $9.09 million in 2020. But he has had to wait while the Cowboys have focused on new contracts for quarterback Dak Prescott, defensive end DeMarcus Lawrence and wide receiver Amari Cooper.