Ezekiel Elliott’s holdout paid off. According to multiple sources around NFL, Pro Bowl running back and Dallas Cowboys agreed to an extension that will make Elliott the highest-paid RB in the league.
ESPN’s Ed Werder reports that the two sides agreed to a six-year extension, which is worth $90 million and comes with $50 million guaranteed. This tops the previous record, held by Los Angeles Rams’ Todd Gurley, who got $45 million guaranteed on his deal.
Elliott’s new deal will see him stay with the franchise through 2026. The 24-year-old has two years on his rookie deal, which pay him $3.853 million and $9.09 million respectively. This brings the total value of his deal at more than $100 million.
Cowboys’ owner and general manager Jerry Jones confirmed the extension on Wednesday morning during an interview with CNBC.
“Zeke has been arguably our best player,” said Jones. “I’m not trying to be unfair to anybody else, but he’s an incremental part to our success. We’re glad to get him booked in. We’re glad to have him on.”
The team also posted a photo of Elliott signing his extension on social media.
Although having two years on his deal, Ezekiel Elliott wanted to get long-term security from Dallas Cowboys this offseason and demanded an extension. In order to force Cowboys’ hand, Elliott missed all of the team’s mandatory activities including the training camp. Although it was rumored that Cowboys might play hardball with the player and were prepared to let him miss regular-season games, two sides managed to come to an agreement before the 2019 NFL season officially kicked off.
Elliott has been one of Cowboys’ best players since being drafted fourth overall in 2016 NFL Draft. Since then he led the league twice in rushing, while earning two Pro Bowl appearances and one All-Pro honor.
