Jerry Jones Says Ezekiel Elliot Not Playing Will Keep Him Fresh for the Playoffs

Jerry Jones isn’t willing to back out in Ezekiel Elliot case. The Dallas Cowboys owner still isn’t rushing into offering the rebellious running back a deal. Despite what many believed this could be a long, long story ahead of us.

Jones, for who many believed that will react after Zeke’s holdout protest, continues to joke when asked about this situation. The latest comments which were a bit ironical according to fans were delivered this morning. In one interview from this morning, Jones said that Elliot skipping games wouldn’t be a problem, because that will make him fresh for the playoffs (if Cowboys manage to reach it).

“We want Zeke when we get to the playoffs. We want Zeke when we’re in the dog days of this season. … A fresh Zeke, if we got to the end, would be great,” said Cowboys alpha and omega.

Next on The Fan @1053SS & @rjchoppy talk with #DallasCowboys owner Jerry Jones. Online https://t.co/2PVVv69HdX and on @Radiodotcom #CowboysNation

— 105.3 The FAN (@1053thefan) August 28, 2019

Many believe that this sort of behavior is, in fact, Jones’ message to the player and his agent that he won’t back down and be the one who eases up in this position. The veteran in the NFL knows that such a move could only cost him more, and he is willing to keep on going like this all the way, until that point when he evaluates that Zeke might give up on talks.

He is aware that his Cowboys might start the season without Elliot, and he mentioned that also, saying that he believes in the team’s abilities to cover up the absence of any player.

“We have to be prepared to play without any given player,” Jones said. “We may very well play without a player that’s not coming in on his contract. We’ll play and play well.”

He also ruled out all the speculations that Elliot’s off-field issues affected negotiations, saying that he hasn’t got any problems with that.

“I’m very comfortable with everything off the field for Zeke,” Jones said.

As we wrote before, Elliot is trying to secure him a long-term contract, preferably for four or more years. His goal is to get one of the highest salaries in the NFL for a running back, which would mean around $15 million.

His demands could be problematic for the Cowboys who are in a tough position when looking at their salary cap. They have three superstars, Dak Prescott, Amari Cooper, and Elliot, all waiting to sign a long-term deal. Having in mind that these players are one of the best in their respective positions, it would be very tough to fit in all their demands.

Jason Garrett on RB Ezekiel Elliott: "We love him as a guy. We love him as a player. We want to get him back in here. Right now, we're going with the guys we have. When Zeke gets back here, we'll get him integrated as quickly as we can, and he'll be a big part of our team." pic.twitter.com/W5mUdYWiaD

— Michael Gehlken (@GehlkenNFL) August 27, 2019

The goal of the Cowboys’ management is to keep that young and talented core, as they have a massive potential. According to various pundits, Cowboys improvement is visible from year to year, and Super Bowl battle is very near for them. This season was supposed to be their first true test, but the way it started, it doesn’t look good.

Cowboys host the New York Giants in the opening game of the season. They are the favorites even without Zeke. Still, coach Jason Garrett has solid replacements who are giving their best to use this situation and impose themselves as the solutions on the RB position.

The 30-year old veteran Alfred Morris and rookie Tony Pollard are set to roll, and according to their teammates, these two guys will be decent replacements for Elliot.

We have 11 days until the start of the regular part of the campaign, which is still enough for both sides to reach a deal. Still, when having Jones in any equation, everything is possible. Even to see Elliot waiting for the playoffs without a deal.