It was reported earlier today that Ezekiel Elliott and the Cowboys were nearing an agreement on a six-year, $90MM extension. While we are not quite across the goal line, Ian Rapoport of NFL.com tweets that Elliott is flying back to Dallas to be ready in the event that he and the team come to terms on an agreement.
Owner Stephen Jones and Elliott’s agent, Rocky Arceneaux, are scheduled to meet this evening, David Moore of the Dallas Morning News reports (Twitter link). Moore cautions that a deal has not yet been agreed to, even in principle.
Elliott has a desire to surpass Todd Gurley‘s near $15MM AAV deal and become the highest-paid running back the league. The previously reported deal would do just enough to accomplish that goal and it would surpass Gurley’s deal in length by two seasons. The eight-year extension would keep Zeke under contract through the 2026 season, though as our own Zach Links previously noted, it may not be a true eight-year deal based on the guarantees, cash flow and overall structure of the arrangement.
The Cowboys are not seeking a front-loaded contract, as Charles Robinson of Yahoo! Sports relays on Twitter. The scribe notes that the 30 percent rule has been a barrier in striking a deal thus far.
Dallas agreed to a five-year extension with La’el Collins earlier today with sources telling ESPN’s Adam Schefter (Twitter link) that the deal created $5.7MM in cap space for the Cowboys this season. Such a move could be designed to facilitate a new Elliott contract.
Should Elliott sign today, the Cowboys expect him to play on Sunday against the Giants. Arceneux flew quarterback Tanner Lee, who is also his client, to Cabo to help the running back work on his passing game and two-minute offense, as ESPN’s Ed Werder relays (Twitter link). Hall-of-Fame running back Marshall Faulk has also been working out with Elliott in Mexico.
The Cowboys called up RB Jordan Chunn from the practice squad and they have rookie Tony Pollard and Alfred Morris in the fold, so Dallas has a full backfield ready in the event that Elliott doesn’t sign this week. Pollard is rumored to be the strongest candidate for a lead-back role if Elliott misses any games.
Photo courtesy of USA Today Sports Images.
it won’t sit well with Le’Veon Bell
Maybe Marshall Faulk is getting back into game shape.
Fantasy owners be like;
“Well? We’re waiting!”
I have Pollard… he can take all the time he needs.
Now I also have Melvin Gordon and those talks are not progressing so I am sorta getting a double wammy here.
OK, so what is the 30
percent rule?
From what I understand a player under his original draft deal cannot increase his salary by more than 30% of the annual salary.
Article 13, Section 7 of the CBA mandates that “no player contract extending into a season beyond the Final League Year may provide for an annual increase in salary … of more than 30 percent of the salary provided for in the Final League Year, per year, either in the season after the Final League Year or in any subsequent season covered by the Player Contract.”
So if a player signs a five-year contract this offseason, and his 2020 salary is $10 million, the rules state his scheduled 2021, 2022 and 2023 salaries can’t be higher than $13 million, $16 million and $19 million, respectively.
Thank you sir!
I believe the rule only applies to base salaries. A player can earn in excess of that with workout bonuses and performance incentives.
Correct. In the case of Zeke he would have to get an extremely massive signing bonus in order to get anywhere close to the $90M contract. Will take some creativity to pull this off.
90M, 15M guaranteed?
$5 guaranteed for that chump.
Sign already! My draft is at 6:30 lol
Who’d u take?
Alfred Morris?
Take Boobie Sanders
Le’Veon Bell… Had the 8th pick and Zeke was taken 7th.
8 yrs so he can holdout in 2 hmmm
Man got paid. Eat Zeke.